Difference Between Scouring and Souring
Don’t confuse these two terms. They are not the same at all. There is a crucial difference between scouring & souring.
Scouring is a pre-treatment process by which all the impurities from textile materials are removed. Mainly scouring is required for natural fibers like cotton, wool, hemp etc. Synthetic fibers or blends of synthetic fibers also require a scouring process but this practice is less in this case.
Strong alkali is used as a result of some changes that occur in the fabric. But it doesn’t cause any significant harm to the fabric. Without proper scouring, the dyeing procedure can’t be carried out effectively. Poor scouring leads to patchy dyeing. As scouring is an essential step before dyeing, bio-scouring is better than chemical or alkaline scouring.
Whereas souring is an after-treatment process to neutralize the residual alkali. This process is accomplished with a mild acidic solution.
Wanna know more about the difference between scouring & souring? Find out below!
7 Difference Between Scouring and Souring
Scouring | Souring |
Removes oil, wax, gum and soluble impurities | Don’t remove any impurities, it’s just an alkali neutralization process |
Scouring is done at strong alkaline solution | Souring is done at dilute acidic solution like H2SO4, HCL |
Scouring is carried out at boiling temperature | Souring is done at normal temperature |
Requires heat | No requirement of heat |
Needs definite time | No need of definite time |
Scouring improves fabric absorbency | Souring has no impact on absorbency |
Pre-treatment process | After-treatment process |
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