Preparation of various thickening agents in textile

 Preparation of various  thickening agents:

Thickening agents play an important role in textile printing. The main objective is to increase the viscosity of printing paste. Due to that, it increases the sharpness of the printed designs. This also helps to not to spread colors. Another we can say is that it helps to prevent color from blurring effect. A thickening agent is a higher molecular weight molecule that can make a viscose solution or paste. This fixed design in a certain area that printed design never is destroyed. Thickener quality should be like this that will never be destroyed if mix with water, color, and chemicals. During printing, it also needs to work well. The viscosity of the thickener depends on the application process. 

The roller process needs more viscose and during screen printing needs less viscose than previous and rotary print also needs less viscose thickener. Thickeners are divided into various groups. 

1. Starches, 

2. Gums,

3. Sodium Alginate,

4. Glue,

5. Synthetic thickener

There are various types of gum that will be discussed in this chapter. 

1. British gum-D

2. Locast bean gum

3. Gum tragakanth

4. Gum senegal or Gum Arabic

5. Indalca U gum

6. Nafca crystal gum 

7. Solvits C-5

British Gum –D:

This type of gum is widely used in the textile printing industry. This is mainly made from starch. It forms dextrin. In 1810 Bouillon Lagrange the English man invents this gum. If we dry starch and mix it with water and this process can make a thickener easily. Here 200-210°C needs to fry starch. Then it converts to dextrin. To print 100% cotton fabric this type of gum was used in 19 century. Gum color depends on frying. Violet dextran 60% and light dextran 30-40% gum used. Another process is that if we use 1/400 nitric acid before frying then it will have better quality. Another one is wheat. If we fry wheat and make dextrine it can be a good thickener.