Process for improving weavability of a yarn

A process for making a fabric or a knit with a yarn made from natural animal fibers, vegetable fibers, man made synthetic polymer fibers and/or man made artificial polymer fibers, used in a pure state or blended together consisting of the steps of:

• providing a yarn made of natural animal fibers, vegetable fibers, man made synthetic polymer fibers and/or man made artificial polymer fibers, used in a pure state or blended together, wherein the yarn does not contain cellulose;
• preparing a sizing solution containing a composition of chitosan and/or derivatives thereof as a reinforcement product, wherein the chitosan and/or derivatives thereof have a molecular weight of 150,000 Da;
• and
• sizing said yarn with said sizing solution to apply said reinforcement product to the fibers of said yarn by at least partial impregnation and/or coating, to increase weavability of said yarn for later weaving as a weft and/or warp yarn or for knitting,
• crosslinking said chitosan of said reinforcement product applied to the fibers of said yarn, such that a crosslinked reinforcement polymer is obtained from said chitosan, wherein the chitosan is adapted to be permanently anchored to the fibers of said yarn,
• warp-and-weft weaving or knitting said yarn to obtain a fabric or a knit, and
• desizing said yarn by providing partial and calibrated removal of said crosslinked chitosan-derived reinforcement product anchored to the fibers of said yarn, from such fibers of said yarn, wherein the desizing step is performed by immersion in a hydrolyzing enzymatic desizing solution containing protease, amylase and/or cellulase enzymes,
• optionally, after the sizing said yarn and before crosslinking the chitosan, drying the fibers of said yarn and the chitosan of said reinforcement product applied to the fibers of said yarn to facilitate the later chitosan crosslinking step.

A process for improving affinity to finishing of a finished fabric, knit or garment, containing at least one yarn made from natural animal fibers, vegetable fibers, man made synthetic polymer fibers and/or man made artificial polymer fibers, used in a pure state or blended together, consisting of the steps of:

• providing a finished fabric, knit or garment containing at least one yarn made of natural animal fibers, vegetable fibers, man made synthetic polymer fibers and/or man made artificial polymer fibers, used in a pure state or blended together, wherein the yarn does not contain cellulose;
• preparing a sizing solution containing a composition of chitosan and/or derivatives thereof, wherein the chitosan and/or derivatives thereof have a molecular weight of 150,000 Da;
• sizing said finished fabric, knit or garment with said sizing solution to apply said chitosan composition to the fibers of said at least one yarn by at least partial impregnation and/or coating;
• crosslinking the chitosan of said chitosan composition to obtain a crosslinked polymer from said chitosan, wherein the chitosan is permanently anchored to the fibers of said at least one yarn, and
• desizing said yarn by providing partial and calibrated removal of said crosslinked chitosan-derived polymer from the fibers of said at least one yarn, wherein the desizing step is performed by immersion in a hydrolyzing enzymatic desizing solution containing protease, amylase and/or cellulase enzymes;
• and
• optionally, after the sizing said yarn and before crosslinking the chitosan, drying the fibers of said at least one yarn and the chitosan of said chitosan composition applied to the fibers of said finished fabric, knit or garment, to facilitate the later chitosan crosslinking step.