Emulsifiers in Textile processing

Sizing softeners and lubricants are used to ease the conversion of loose fibre into spun yarn. Vegetable and synthetic tallows with or without mutton tallow are used as softeners and lubricants in sizing formulations. Emulsifiers are used in these formulations to promote easy subsequent scouring. Synthetic tallow is generally a mixture of paraffin wax, a vegetable oil and stearic acid, which is partly neutralized with NaOH to form a small amount of sodium stearate (soap), which acts as an emulsifying agent for the fatty and waxy materials.