Significance of Printing Thickeners in Textile Industry

Thickener is a concentrated mass that provides adhesiveness and plasticity to the print paste for making it fit to be applied on the surface of fabric avoiding any bleeding possibilities.
 
Usually thickeners are made by weighing out, dissolving the auxiliary chemicals and forming them into the desired weight of thickener. It is a colorless viscous paste consists of one or more thickening agents.



Application of Thickeners

1. It offers the desired viscosity to the printing paste.  
2. It wards off any early reaction between the chemicals available in the print paste.
3. It helps holding the components of the print paste on the fabrics.

Different Approaches to Produce Thickeners

1. A low concentrated polymer having high relative molecular mass.
2. A high concentrated material of low relative molecular mass Emulsion of two immiscible fluids like the emulsions applied as cosmetic creams, or a foam of air in a fluid.
3. A separation of a finely divided solid, like bentonite.

All the four above process of producing thickeners are used separately and often in combination. Earlier as the natural products are variable materials and the requirements are not properly defined, experience and subjective judgements were required. As now that the chemistry of polymers are aptly understood, it’s easy to select and use them using any of the above processes, scientifically. In selecting the right thickening agents, it is important to consider the requirements more than viscosity.

Synopsis

Textile Printing thickeners are the most necessary ingredient that imparts the fabric desired plasticity and sleekness. There are several other industries where it is used and there are many that are promising sector, where it can be used.