Experiences in the air spinning to manufacture medical devices

Abstract

The work aims to determine, with scientific rigor, differences in key parameters of the yarns produced by conventional ring spinning systems, open-end and air spinning and its interrelation with the main parameters of those products that are intended for medical-sanitary sector. The experiences have been made in a Spanish company from short fibers sector that has three spinning systems, with tradition and prestige in world market, validating the results in Innotex Center laboratories of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. Considering the results, it shows that the technology of manufacture of yarns by air is suitable for yarn, woven fabrics and knitting, structures to textile medical-sanitary application, by specific properties as well as enhanced competitiveness, due to the high production rate and shortened spinning process. The viscose yarns manufactured by air mass are more mass regular. The new DR parameter clearly indicates a better look of the finished fabric when we work with yarns produced by air technology. The significant reduction of the hairiness means less formation of loose fibres by friction, very important in the application of these yarns in the manufacture of textile structures for medical-sanitary use. Also no-table increase of about 15% in the absorption capacity of the fluids, especially water, from the yarns made by air. In the functionalization of fabrics obtained from spun yarn by air will need to apply a permanent smoothing