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Study of Spliced Elastic Denim YarnPerformancesB. Jaouachi a ba Textile Engineering, Laboratory of Ksar Hellal , University ofMonastir , Monastir , Tunisiab National Engineering School of Monastir , University of Monastir ,Monastir , TunisiaPublished online: 10 Sep 2013.

To cite this article: B. Jaouachi (2013) Study of Spliced Elastic Denim Yarn Performances, Journal ofNatural Fibers, 10:3, 233-243, DOI: 10.1080/15440478.2012.761116

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Journal of Natural Fibers, 10:233–243, 2013Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLCISSN: 1544-0478 print/1544-046X onlineDOI: 10.1080/15440478.2012.761116

Study of Spliced Elastic Denim YarnPerformances

B. JAOUACHITextile Engineering, Laboratory of Ksar Hellal, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia, and

National Engineering School of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia

The aim of this study is to compare the performance of spliceddenim yarn using two different splicers: Twinsplicer-type Savio andAquasplicer-type Mesdan. The samples are investigated to evalu-ate strength, extension, and appearance of specimens. A Taguchidesign method was used to find the most influential parameters ofadjustment. Our findings show that dry spliced yarn performancesremain higher than the wet pneumatic ones. However, to ensure agood splice appearance, it is suitable to adjust the twisting parame-ter for middle and thin yarns and a compromise input adjustmentmay be reasonable to obtain the best splice performance.

KEYWORDS splice performance, twinsplicer, aquasplicer,mechanical properties

Address correspondence to B. Jaouachi, Textile Department, National Engineering Schoolof Monastir, University of Monastir, Ibn Eljazzar Street, Monastir 5000, Tunisia. E-mail:boubaker.jaouachi@enim.rnu.tn

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INTRODUCTION

To ensure the quality of the elastic denim yarn, physicomechanical propertiesof spliced yarns should be sufficient and higher before next transformations.In literature, several techniques exist and are used to overlap and hold yarnends such as mechanical splicing, electrostatic joining, knotting technique,and dry or wet pneumatic splicing. Splicing is a technique developed to sat-isfy some strength in weaving; spliced yarn performances need to be equalto parent yarn ones. When two yarn ends are overlapped and held in a suit-able shaped chamber using a turbulent blast of air, the technique is namedsplicing. To intermesh and entangle free fibers into a complex fluid flow inthe splicing chamber, a prism, was used (Jaouachi et al. 2007; Ben Hassenet al. 2007; Cheng and Lam 2000, 2000, 2003; Kaushik et al. 1987, 1989).Wet pneumatic splice is a technique recently used by new splicer devicessuch as Aquasplicer-type Mesdan and Autoconer-splicer-type Schlafhorst 338.However, pneumatic splice remains the weakest zone of the yarn. Comparedto pneumatic splice, the mechanical one using frictional discs to overlap endspresents a good strength but a bad appearance compared to parent yarn.

Besides, the comparison between the dry and wet spliced denim yarnperformances remains an important subject, which was not investigated wellin the literature except by Kaushik et al. (1987, 1989, 1988). In fact, thiswork deals with an evaluation of the impact of each tested input parameteron both spliced yarn using Twinsplicer (Figure 1) and Aquasplicer (Figure 2).The overall splice performances are analyzed and discussed in this study.

FIGURE 1 Twinsplicer type SAVIO (color figure available online).

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Spliced Elastic Denim Yarn Performances 235

FIGURE 2 Aquasplicer 4923A type MESDAN (color figure available online).

TABLE 1 Characteristics of studied yarns

Composition of yarns Yc (tex) Twist (T.P.M.)

Cotton (38%) + Tencel (57%) + Lycra© (5%) 41.7 61066.7 510

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two different elastic denim yarn counts within their characteristics wereused in the experiment as shown in Table 1. To produce the spliced elasticyarn samples, a wet pneumatic splicer (Aquasplicer 4923A) type Mesdan(MESDAN Jointair 115 2011), which joins yarn ends using water flow, and adry pneumatic splicer Twinsplicer type Savio, which joins yarn ends usingdry flow only, were used.

In addition, yarn count parameter, Yc, and three splicer regulation points[untwisting to prepare yarn ends to be joined (UT), overlapping which con-sists of using a compressed flow to join ends to each other after preparation(OP), and drafting essential preparation step of ends that consists of mini-mizing fibers number in each yarn section end to obtain a good appearanceof splice (DF) parameters] in each splicer type were investigated. Hence,the used splicing adjustment and their regulation levels are mentioned inTable 2. To elaborate our experimentations, Minitab 14 software was used.Regarding these inputs, a Taguchi design was elaborated and tested as afunction of their levels to minimize objectively the combination test numbers(Droesbeke et al. 1997).

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TABLE 2 Tested input parameter levels

Splicer Input parameters

Twinsplicer (type Savio)Aquasplicer 4923A

(type Mesdan)

Yarncount(tex)

Level UT (bar) OP (bar) DF (bar) P (bar) OP (bar) DF (bar) Yc

1 3 3 1 1 2 3 41.72 4 4 2 3 3 5 66.73 5 5 − 4 4 6 −4 6 6 − 5 6 7 −Notes: UT = untwisting parameter of prepared yarn ends before splicing, OP = twisting parameterof spliced yarn, DF = drafting of yarn ends after welding step, P = preparation of yarn end duringsplicing step.

Mechanical properties of parent and spliced yarns are carried out usingSCANNER 2552 tensile machine tester (MESDAN Jointair 115 2011). Thelength of samples is 100 mm according to Cheng and Lam (2000, 2000, 2003)and Kaushik et al. (1987, 1989, 1988). The number of tests in each kind ofsplice, dry, and wet sample, is 50. According to our earlier studies (Jaouachiet al. 2007; Ben Hassen et al. 2007), the retained breaking strength (RSS)and the retained elongation at break (RSE) are expressed as percentage ofthe mechanical properties of parent yarn. Moreover, as shown in Equation 3,the retained appearance (RSA) is expressed also in percentage as function ofboth diameters value of spliced and parent yarn, which are both consideredto be cylindrically shaped. The load elongation properties of the sampleswere tested on the SPLICE SCANNER 2552 tensile tester. Their expressionsare given in the Equations 1–3,

RSS(%) = Breaking strength of spliced yarn

Breaking strength of parent yarn× 100, (1)

RSE(%) = Elongation at break of spliced yarn

Elongation at break of parent yarn× 100, (2)

RSA(%) = Diameter value of spliced yarn (mm)

Diameter of parent yarn (mm)× 100. (3)

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Figures 3 and 4 describe the impact of each tested input parameter onthe splice performances using both the Twinsplicer-type SAVIO and theAquasplicer 4923A-type MESDAN.

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Spliced Elastic Denim Yarn Performances 237

(a)

(b)

(c)

FIGURE 3 Effect of input parameters, case of Twinsplicer system, on spliced yarn perfor-mances: (a) RSS variation as function of input parameter levels (1: the lowest level and 2: thehighest level); (b) RSE variation as function of input parameter levels; and (c) RSA variationas function of input parameter levels.

The overall contributions of the input parameters on the splice proper-ties RSS, RSE, and RSA present different effects as shown in these Figures.As a conclusion, the most important contribution means that the tested inputis a relevant and influential parameter.

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(a)

(b)

(c)

FIGURE 4 Effect of input parameters, case of Aquasplicer system, on spliced yarn perfor-mances: (a) RSS variation as function of input parameter levels (1: the lowest level and 2: thehighest level); (b) RSE variation as function of input parameter levels; and (c) RSA variationas function of input parameter levels.

Regarding their contributions, the splicer and yarn parameters presentdifferent contributions on the mechanical properties of dry and wet splicedyarn samples. According to experimental design methods, the parame-ters’ contributions expressed in percentage were calculated according toEquation 3, as recapitulated in Table 3. For example, the contribution

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Spliced Elastic Denim Yarn Performances 239

TABLE 3 The contributions of the input parameters on the splice performances

Splicer type Twinsplicer (SAVIO) Aquasplicer 4923A (MESDAN)

Inputs contribution Yc DF OP UT Yc DF OP P

RSSContr (%) 6.79 1.98 1.24 9.22 7.87 10.1 7.7 16.95RSEContr (%) 1.31 4.49 2.15 5.34 1.57 1.3 13.17 18.89RSAContr (%) 10.42 8.75 28.35 6.67 2.18 21.27 8.5 25.35

Notes: : This colour is used to indicate the most important contribution valueson tested splice performances (RSS, RSE and RSA) using each splicer system type.Yc = yarn count parameter, DF = drafting of yarn ends after welding step, OP = twisting parameter ofspliced yarn, UT = untwisting parameter of prepared yarn ends before splicing, P = preparation of yarnend during splicing step.

of twisting parameter OP on the spliced retained properties, such as RSS(RSSContr OP), is calculated as follows:

RSSContr OP = (RSSHigh OP − RSSLow OP

), (3)

whereRSSContr OP (%) is the OP contribution on the retained strength of spliced yarn,when this input changes from the lowest to the highest-level value,RSSHigh OP (%): The retained strength of spliced yarn, when OP parameterlevel is high,RSSLow OP (%): The retained strength of spliced yarn, when OP parameterlevel is low.Note that the highest contribution values are marked in Table 3 by gray color.

Hence, when changing from a low to the highest level of each inputparameter, it seems that the most important impact corresponds first with theuntwisting parameter and second with the yarn structure. Indeed, using theSAVIO splicer, their contributions on the retained strength of spliced yarn are9.22% and 6.79%, respectively, when these influential input parameter levelsincrease.

In fact, when the preparation duration of each yarn end is high, thenthe fibers encourage the splicing operation and help to obtain a strengthenedjunction. With reference to our earlier results (Ben Hassen et al. 2007), it isobvious that the yarn count (Yc) and the joining air duration influence splicemechanical properties the most. As a consequence, the two prepared yarnends can be overlapped well and a resistant spliced yarn can be formed.This result is in agreement with those of Kaushik et al. (1987, 1989, 1988).However, increasing the levels of the drafting of yarn ends after welding step(DF) lightly increases the retained strength of splice by 1.98% as well as leadsto the saving of the small increase (1.24%) when the twisting parameter level(OP) increases. Analogy with the contributions of input parameters on theRSS illustrates the different RSE variations as function of the change of levelsin Figure 3b. The results demonstrate that the increase in the drafting of

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TABLE 4 Coefficients of determination, R2, values using Taguchi analysis method

Twinsplicer type SAVIO Aquasplicer type MESDAN

Splice properties RSS (%) RSE (%) RSA (%) RSS (%) RSE (%) RSA (%)

R2 value (%) 94.90 90.71 83.76 87.91 79.94 78.99

Notes: RSS = retained breaking strength, RSE = retained elongation at break, RSA = retained appearance.

yarn ends encourages the splice elongation at break. Although when the OP

increases, the RSE value decreases by 4.48%. In addition, referring to Table 3,the increase of OP parameter level helps to obtain a good splice appearance.Because of the high contribution on the retained appearance, 28.35%, it isclassified as the most influential parameter as well as the yarn count.

In contrast with dry spliced yarn, among all calculated contributions,the most important one on the wet spliced yarn performances is that ofthe preparation of yarn end during splicing step P. In addition, as shownin Table 3, the drafting parameter is still significant and affects the splicebehavior. This explains that wet spliced yarn appearance and mechanicalproperties remain essential functions of a good preparation of yarn endsand a suitable drafting parameter level. This is in agreement with our ear-lier works findings (Jaouachi et al. 2007; Ben Hassen et al. 2007). In thepresent study, our Taguchi experimental design results show that, in caseof Twinsplicer, the linear regression coefficient of determination (R2) is0.8376 for the retained splice appearance, 0.9071 for the retained elonga-tion at break, and 0.949 for the retained breaking strength (Table 4). Thisfinding emphasizes that splicers that mingle the two yarn ends using com-pressed air only are particularly suitable to join wool and synthetic yarns(MESDAN Jointair 115 2011).

Compared to previous R2 values, those obtained using wet pneumaticsplicer seem lower. Indeed, we saved 0.7899 for RSA, 0.7994 for RSE, and0.8791 for RSS. These highest regression coefficient values, previously men-tioned, prove that the evolution of the splice performances can be fitted bythe linear regression method (Cheng and Lam 2003). It might probably bedue to the wet pneumatic splicing technique that splice performance canbe insufficient especially when the yarn contains Tencel (57%) and Lycra©

(5%). Besides, splicers that use water in addition to compressed air are mostsuitable to join hygroscopic yarns such as cotton and linen (MESDAN Jointair115 2011) and not when the greater part of yarn composition is synthetic aswell as Tencel and Lycra© (more than 60% in our case). Moreover, accordingto Su and Yang (2004), the elastane filament cannot be in a central positioninside the splice section during and after formation. Filament ends appearoutside the splice body and the appearance satisfaction of elastomeric yarndecreases, particularly the spliced yarns (Ben Hassen et al. 2007).

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242 B. Jaouachi

We recorded the coefficient of variation, CV%, in the case of the parentbreaking strength, ranging from 7.78% to 9.22%. For elongation at break, theCV% is ranged from 6.44% to 8.97%. However, the CV% of spliced yarn real-ized on Twinsplicer and Aquasplicer increases and it is ranged from 9.12% to11.4% for RSS and from 6.30% to 9.4% for RSE. Among overall tested splices,there is only one that was selected for good spliced yarn performances.Table 5 illustrates the regulation points of the best mechanical splice perfor-mances. Therefore, to ensure this finding, we tested again their mechanicalperformances. We also choose two other yarn counts, included in our exper-imental design of interest, to improve our results that are recapitulated onTable 5 and represented by gray color. The number of added tests in eachselected splice is 20 specimens. The retained strength, the retained elonga-tion at break, and the retained appearance are investigated. The results,as shown in Table 5, indicate that spliced yarns using Twinsplicer andAquasplicer systems present in general good mean mechanical properties.Compared to CV% of parent yarn performances, the correspondent CV% ofmechanical properties demonstrates accurately that our results are accept-able. However, it may be concluded also that some regulation points can bewidely optimized to obtain good spliced yarn behavior, especially for thickyarns. According to Table 5, the spliced thick yarn performance using thetwo different splicers remains insufficient and should be investigated moreand improved.

CONCLUSION

This work deals with a comparison between wet and dry spliced elasticyarn performances using a Taguchi experimental method. In our experimen-tal design of interest, some considered input parameters were investigatedin order to study their contribution on the splice behavior. Our resultsshow that suitable combinations of input parameters and their correspon-dent levels help to obtain a good spliced yarn performance. Compared to themechanic splicing, the wet pneumatic splicing technique provides accurateresults but remains insufficient especially to explain the retained appear-ance. Indeed, the tested yarn contains a high percentage of Tencel (57%)and elasthane (5%), which explains the difficulty to intermesh fibers andto satisfy good appearance. This can be probably be due to the inabililtyof the yarn to absorb water during wet splicing and the difficult controlof elasthane filament inside the splice yarn. The most influential inputs areselected and used to contribute on splice performance using a more largeexperimental design. The regression technique presents an accurate methodto explain the splice performances (higher R2 values). However, determiningthe compromise between each parameter gives more accurate understand-ing of splice behavior using theoretical methods such as image analysis

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Spliced Elastic Denim Yarn Performances 243

technique (for appearance) or neural network methods (for spliced yarnbehavior prediction). Other works will follow in due course.

REFERENCES

Ben Hassen, M., B. Jaouachi, M. Sahnoun, and F. Sakli. 2007. Mechanical propertiesand appearance of wet spliced cotton/elasthane Denim yarns. Journal of theTextile Institute 99: 119–123.

Cheng, K. P. S., and H. L. I. Lam. 2000. Physical properties of pneumatically splicedcotton ring spun yarns. Textile Research Journal 70: 1053–1057.

Cheng, K. P. S., and H. L. I. Lam. 2000. Strength of pneumatic splicedpolyester/cotton ring spun yarns. Textile Research Journal 70: 243–246.

Cheng, K. P. S., and H. L. I. Lam. 2003. Evaluating and comparing the physicalproperties of spliced yarns by regression and neural network techniques. TextileResearch Journal 73: 161–164.

Droesbeke, J. J., J. Fine, and G. Saporta. 1997. In Plans d’expériences Applications àl’entreprise. Paris: Editions TECHNIP, pp. 1–10.

DUPONT. 1991. Producing core spun yarns containing LYCRA®, Technical Bulletin

L120, 1–16.Jaouachi, B., M. Ben Hassen, and F. Sakli. 2007. Strength of wet spliced denim

yarns after sizing using a central composite design. AUTEX Research Journal 7:159–165.

Kaushik, R. C. D., I. C. Sharma, and P. K. Hari Lynch. 1987. Effect of fibre/yarnvariables on mechanical properties of spliced yarn. Textile Research Journal 57:490–494.

Kaushik, R. C. D., I. C. Sharma, and P. K. Hari Lynch. 1989. Mechanism of splice.Textile Research Journal 58: 263–268.

Kaushik, R. C. D., P. K. Hari, and I. C. Sharma. 1988. Quantitative contribution ofsplice elements. Textile Research Journal 58: 343–344.

MESDAN Jointair 115. 2011. Servicing instructions No. 357 . Brescia, Italy: Mesdan,pp. 1–22.

Su, C. I., and H. Y. Yang. 2004. Structure and elasticity of fine elastometric yarns,Textile Research Journal 74: 1041–1044.

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