Comparing the cost-effectiveness and yarn quality improvement with PVA versus conventional maize starch as the sizing agents

The clothing industry is striving to reduce material use and energy consumption during the production process to maximize resource efficiency. The production of high-quality fabrics is driven by key materials such as sizing agents. While starch and its derivatives stand as the most prevalent natural sizing agents, they are without their drawbacks, particularly during the de-sizing process. Maize starch is the most widely used sizing agent in Ethiopia's textile sector, yet its use presents challenges both in terms of the efficiency of the weaving process and in terms of the quality of the textiles. This study focuses on the development of a new size recipe for textile fabric processing, which is exclusive to PVA synthetic sizing material. Various criteria, such as viscosity, production improvement, environment sustainability, fabric quality, ease of de-sizing, low breakage rate, and cost-effectiveness, have been considered in selecting PVA sizing agents. The study assessed parameters such as size regain, yarn elongation loss, and fabric production. The study demonstrates the potential for substantial improvements in textile production by exploiting PVA's special properties and addressing shortcomings related to traditional sizing material. This shift to PVA based sizing formulations is not only expected to improve the quality and production efficiency of the fabric, but also to meet the wider sustainability objectives of the textile industry.