THE CHEMICAL NEWS PARADE The modern textile laboratory of Rohm & Haas Co., Philadelphia, Penna., has been especially designed to carry on three major activities, namely, research, evaluation of existing products compared to new developments, and sales service. For these purposes specialized equipment designed to make this laboratory unique in its scope has been installed. A specialized piece of apparatus has been set up for testing and checking every plant operation. Machines have been designed for use in the laboratory which duplicate as closely as possible actual textile mill equipment in use. Through a precise control of time, tension, temperature, and drying rate, mill results can be obtained under laboratory conditions. One of the outstanding features of this tri-purpose laboratory is the conditioning room where every fabric or yarn to be tested is first conditioned for at least 24 hours at 70° F. and 65 per cent relative humidity. This measure is of the utmost importance as emphasized and exemplified in the case of tensile strength determinations on certain rayon fabrics, where tensile strength may vary as much as 40 per cent from day to day if such conditioning is not employed. Other pieces of equipment include a Scott tester to determine the efficacy of various textile finishes, a compressometer to measure crush resistance of velvet, and a Brookfield viscometer to test viscosity of textile finish.
PHOTOS BY W I L L I A M M . R l T T A S E
(7) Fabrics and yarns to be tested are placed in conditioning room in order to secure necessary uniformity in moisture content to allow for accurate testing comparisons. (2) A Scott tester used to deter mine efficacy of textile finishes is shown here in action. (3) The stiffness tester is used for testing the stiffness of fabrics after the finishing operation. (4) The latest precision instrument set up by the AATCC to evaluate the hand or drape of fabrics is the drapemeter, outstanding in its simplicity and accuracy. (5) A Stormer viscometer checks on the textile sizings. (6) Since the wash is fre quently the test of β good finish, the laboratories are equipped to evaluatefinishesfrom the standpoint of commercial or home launder ing. New detergents are evaluated in the Launderometer, right, then used in practical applications in rotary and dasher type washers.
(7) As the conversion of starches with enzymes becomes or increasing importance, the Brabender viscometer is now used to determine with accuracy their enzymatic products, the diastases. This machine, pictured here, automatically determines and records the viscosity of the starch-enzyme mix as it is being subjected to temperature changes. (8) Basic research as it is carried on here is essential in the rapidly changing tex tile industry. (P) Padding and calendering, shown here, are two of the most difficult plant operationi to reproduce in the laboratory. In order to ensure similar results in laboratory teits and plant results special pads and calenders have been developed.
