Applications for Textiles

Selvol™ polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH/PVA) plays a critical role in textile manufacturing, especially in warp sizing for both natural and synthetic fibers.

Benefits of Selvol PVOH in Textile Applications

Our Selvol PVOH resin is the most widely used warp sizing composition for textiles. Selvol PVOH provides a protective coating for spun and filament yarn, and manufacturers can easily desize it with hot water.

Additionally, our Selvol™ Ultalux technology complements Selvol PVOH in textile warp sizing applications. We designed Ultalux to help maintain colorfastness and crockfastness on a wide variety of fabrics and garments. In fact, using Selvol Ultalux can improve crocking ratings by 1 full point or more and help ensure your garments meet consumers’ high expectations.

Selvol PVOH improves warp sizing performance with these properties:

• Improved weavability. The abrasion resistance, elasticity and toughness of yarn sized with PVOH lead to lower warp stop levels.
• Lower add-on. Yarns sized with PVOH can run at lower adds-ons because Selvol PVOH and Selvol Ultalux offer adhesion and strength advantages over natural binders.
• Decreased shed. PVOH’s excellent abrasion resistance and adhesion to synthetic fibers lead to less shedding on the slasher and in the weave room.
• Excellent size stability. Selvol PVOH and Selvol Ultalux solutions are thermally stable, and manufacturers can maintain them for longer times at higher temperatures.

Recipe for Success: Selecting the Right Grade for Textiles

Choosing the right Selvol PVOH grade for textile sizing is critical. Each grade offers distinct benefits for weaving performance, adhesion and desizability.

Choosing a PVOH Grade Based on Water Resistance and Desizability

It’s important to consider how hydrolysis level affects performance in weaving and desizing when selecting a PVOH grade for textile sizing.

• Super-hydrolyzed grades have higher water resistance, but this can result in desizing problems. We generally don’t recommend these grades for warp sizing.
• Partially hydrolyzed grades provide superior adhesion to polyester and other synthetic fibers. These grades usually lead to optimum weavability and desizability.

Most Common Grades for Warp Sizing in Textiles

Manufacturers commonly use the following PVOH grades for textile sizing across cotton, polyester and blended yarns. They improve adhesion, weaving efficiency and desizability.

• Selvol Polyvinyl Alcohol 325. Manufacturers can use this grade with starch for preparing fabrics containing 100% cotton yarns. It’s the preferable product for ground and pile warps and toweling.
• Selvol Polyvinyl Alcohol 425. This grade offers a balance of properties between fully and partially hydrolyzed grades. It improves adhesion to polyester and other synthetic fibers better than Selvol PVOH 325.
• Selvol Polyvinyl Alcohol 418. This grade is stronger than CMC and acrylic binders, with outstanding adhesion to both natural and synthetic fibers. Manufacturers can easily remove it with hot water during the desizing process.
• Selvol Polyvinyl Alcohol 523. This grade offers good adhesion to polyester and other synthetic fibers. It also provides the best weaving and desizing performance, although manufacturers should add a defoamer.
• Selvol Polyvinyl Alcohol grades WS-724 (fully hydrolyzed) and WS-53NF (partially hydrolyzed). We created these grades specifically for sizing applications in textiles.

Find the Right Selvol PVOH Solution for Textile Applications

Contact SEKISUI for more information, or request samples. Download our brochure to get a deeper look at PVOH in textile warp sizing applications.