Organdie Finish: Procedure and Uses of Cotton Organdy Finishing
Shareful Islam Palash
Lecturer, Institute of Textile Engineering & Information Technology
Email: palash313@gmail.com
What is Organdie Finish? Organdie or organdy finish is a finishing process. Generally this finish is applied on cotton fabric. In this process cotton fabric is treated with sulfuric acid at room temperature at 110oTw concentration of sulphuric acid in 4-5 second. By this finish, cotton fabric achieved more luster, transparency, stiffness like woolen plain fabric. Organdy fabric is made by this organdie finishing treatment.
Organdy’s crisp finish can be starch, which is not permanent and can be removed and restored in the laundry. More durable crisp finishes require chemicals and heat to complete the finishing process. Heat-based chemical finishes are durable in the laundry and do not need to be restored. 100% cotton organdy can be finished using this more durable crisp finish, which is recommended. More durable crisp finishes have been developed for organdy, so it is no longer necessary to use a non-durable crisp finish.
Organdy’s characteristic crisp hand and absorbency of cotton fiber make this fabric an ideal hot-weather fabric. Summer blouses, shirts, or dresses use cotton organdy. Its crisp hand makes it a favorite fabric for wide-sleeve or full-skirt silhouettes. Organdy is often used for little girls’ spring and summer party dresses.
Which Fabric Used to Gives this Finishing:
All types of fabric are not appropriate for organdie finish or we cannot use all types of fabric for this process. Generally, this finish gives on Fine Cotton, Muslin, and Voile fabric. We also give this finish on Rayon fabric. If we use thick fabric, the fabric looks like Linen but cannot achieve woolen plain and other properties. So, organdie finish use for only higher count (80 Ne) fabric.
Machinery Use for This Process:
Generally, Mercerizing machine is use for organdie finishing. Stenter machine is also use for this finishing. But it’s important that, those machine materials can not react with Sulphuric acid. So, this process done by very carefully.
Procedure of Cotton Fabric Organdy Finishing:
At room temperature, fabric pass into the 110oTw concentration of sulfuric acid in 4-5 second. After 4-5 second the fabric wash by cold water to remove acid from fabric and neutralized by Alkali. Sometimes Pyridine or Glycerine can be used with sulfuric to less it’s rapidly action. By control process, formaldehyde also used with sulfuric acid. Nitric acid and phosphoric acid also use for this finishing process. At 106oTw concentration of phosphoric acid, organdie finishing also gives on Rayon fabric.
The real organdy finish is obtained by treating cotton material with sulfuric acid. The action of sulfuric acid of various concentrations is characterized by three stages of reaction; the first effect occurs with sulphuric acid of 110°Tw (64%), when a soft result is obtained resembling wool, the second effect obtained with 114°Tw acid, when considerable contraction takes place and the cloth becomes stiff, whereas the third effect is produced with 116–125°Tw acid when the fabric becomes stiff and transparent. When cotton is treated with sulphuric acid of 120°Tw (69%) for a few seconds, the fabric becomes thinner, finer and more transparent. The action is more intensive, if the cotton is previously mercerized, and the parchmentising effect is obtained when concentration exceeds 108°Tw. All acid treatments are carried out at room temperature and at the end of allotted time, the fabric is to be washed thoroughly to free it from all traces of acid.
With weaker or crêping acid, the most attractive effects are achieved on lightweight fabrics containing fine cotton yarns such as muslins, voiles, lawns and similar fabrics. Such fabrics shrink during the treatment and become soft and elastic in nature. Stronger acids give a parchmentising effect which produces an organdie effect on the above type of cloth.
The use of a heavy calender or sometimes a heated calender is capable of giving translucent effects when applied to the acid-treated fabric directly after washing or drying.
When mercerized cotton is treated with sulphuric acid of 103–110°Tw, the luster disappears and fabric acquires a fine crêpe nature, appearing thicker, fuller and more wool-like. The beautiful transparent effects are obtained on lightweight fabric. The permanent transparent effect, however, is not obtained on coarser fabric, and it gives a linen-like effect.
A linen-like effect may also be produced on cotton fabric containing yarns of less than 60s Ne, by subjecting them to the action of 103–106°Tw sulphuric acid at 0–5°C for at least 4 minutes, followed by mercerization under tension with 23°Tw caustic soda at room temperature. The reactivity ratio (treated:untreated) of perchmentised fabric is reported to be 1.6, which is greater than the average from commercial mercerizing, whereas a transparent organdie gave 2.07 and a linen finish from sulphuric acid gave 1.23.
Uses of Organdie Finished Fabric:
Organdie finish fabric mainly used to making a screen for hand screen printing. This fabric also used for dresses neckwear, petticoats, home furnishings as a sheer crisp curtain and other items. Soft organdy fabric is used a lot in garment making. Organdy is a favorite fabric for summer-ready clothes because it has great absorbency and also because it is lightweight. Kids dresses are also made with organdy fabric.
Fig: Baby dress with organdy fabric
Conclusion:
Organdie finishing also given the fabric by using different concentration of sulphuric acid. Sometimes it’s also called by perchmentising.
References:
Principles of Textile Finishing by Asim Kumar Roy Choudhury
The Fashion Designer’s Textile Directory by Gail Baugh
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