Effect of heat setting on dimensional stability and dyeing properties of poly(lactic acid) fibres

A study has been conducted into the effect of heat setting on the dimensional stability and dyeing properties of spun and false‐twist texturised poly(lactic acid) yarn. It has been shown that acceptable levels of dimensional stability can be achieved after heat setting for 30–45 s at 130 °C, false‐twist texturised yarn exhibiting greater shrinkage than spun yarn. The exhaustion level and visual colour yield of a number of disperse dyes have been evaluated on each type of poly(lactic acid) yarn and shown to be essentially independent of the time of heat setting.