Appreture

APPRETURE, DRESSING (from the French appreter - to prepare). Dressing refers to substances applied to finished fabric during its final processing; the process of applying the dressing itself is called appreture or dressing. Dressing does not constitute an independent industry; it is an integral part of the fabric finishing process. Dressing is applied, mainly, to cotton fabrics and, to some extent, silk. A variety of substances are used as dressing: those that impart stiffness to the fabric (starch, dextrin, glue), softness and gloss (castor oil, cottonseed oil, etc., oleic acid, etc.), weighting agents (kaolin, gypsum), antiseptics, tints (ultramarine), and many others. The process of producing the dressing consists of pre-boiling the starch with other substances in open or closed boilers or vats, after which it is strained and filtered. The finished dressing is brought to the machine and poured into a box; the dressing is applied to the goods passing through the box over rollers, after which the goods are squeezed and sent to drying drums (or drying frames) for drying. Subsequently, the goods undergo further operations—moistening, stretching, finishing on calenders, etc. From a sanitary-hygienic point of view, one should note the work of starch boilers, machine operators at starch drums, and female workers at the edges (who straighten the edges of the goods entering the drying drums). A common hazard for all these professions is working at high temperatures and high humidity. The conditions are particularly burdensome for starch boilers, who must remain in high temperatures (up to 35–40°C) and humidity (75–90% relative humidity and higher), and their work is accompanied by significant physical exertion (dragging sacks of starch, stirring in vats with a paddle). The premises allocated for boiling are usually quite unsatisfactory and are almost nowhere equipped with proper ventilation. Near the drums, the temperature and humidity are somewhat lower, but still quite high: at the places where the female workers sit at the edges, the temperature reaches 32–35°C; with improper shielding of the drums, there is also the effect of radiant heat on the workers. The latter remain in a sitting position the entire time, constantly making small, rapid movements with the fingers of both hands (straightening the edge). When the fabric breaks between the drums, the machine operator must go in there and search for the broken ends. Here, he is exposed to temperatures up to 50°C and radiant heat.

Preventive measures: proper equipment of the boiling room; closed, sufficiently insulated apparatus for boiling with a mechanical stirrer; installation of rational supply and exhaust ventilation with a sufficient number of air exchanges per hour; for the drums—proper insulation of them and installation of supply and exhaust ventilation.