What Starch Should You Use for High-Speed Textile Yarn Sizing?
When textile production moves at high speed, the sizing material becomes an important part of the process.
But here is where choosing a textile starch can become confusing.
Should you use Thin Boiling Starch? Textile Tapioca Starch? SPAC Jet? SPAC One Shot? Or SPAC Plast?
There is no need to look at all these products as if they are the same.
SPAC’s textile product range includes Thin Boiling Starch, Tapioca Starch, Maize Starch, SPAC Jet, SPAC One Shot, and SPAC Plast. Each product is presented for specific textile applications and requirements.
So, how do you determine which product fits the requirement?
Why Does Yarn Sizing Need the Right Starch?
Sizing is an important textile application for starch.
SPAC’s textile products are positioned around requirements such as yarn sizing, film formation, adhesion, fibre binding, and textile finishing.
That means the right product should be considered based on what the textile process requires rather than simply choosing a starch because it is a Tapioca or Maize product.
The product’s characteristics and stated application are what make the difference.
SPAC's Textile Starch Range
SPAC offers several products for textile applications.
Rather than treating them as interchangeable, it is useful to understand what SPAC specifically states about each product.
Textile Starch | What SPAC States About the Product |
Thin Boiling Starch / SPAC TEX | Modified starch with low and uniform viscosity; used in yarn weaving and textile sizing |
Textile Tapioca Starch | Used for sizing and dyeing, including warp sizing, fabric finishing and printing |
Textile Maize Starch | Used for sizing and dyeing, including warp sizing, fabric finishing and printing |
SPAC Jet | Modified starch-based yarn-sizing product designed to suit high-speed looms |
SPAC One Shot | Single-product sizing agent; specially designed for the sizing needs of Terry Towel industries |
SPAC Plast | Modified starch for sizing cotton and blends; developed for sizing needs on high-speed weaving machines |
The table above reflects the applications and descriptions published by SPAC for these products. It is not a general comparison of all textile starches available in the market.
When Should You Look at Thin Boiling Starch?
SPAC TEX, the company’s Thin Boiling Starch, is described as having low and uniform viscosity that does not change much with temperature compared with native starches.
The SPAC website states that its low viscosity enables use at high concentrations without the viscosity becoming too high, and that its application in yarn weaving is indispensable.
Its listed textile applications include yarn sizing.
The published technical specifications include a cream-coloured, free-flowing powder, pH of 6.0–8.0, maximum moisture content of 13.0%, maximum Brookfield viscosity of 100 cps, maximum ash content of 1.0%, minimum brightness of 90.0%, and maximum cold-water solubility of 4.0%.
For textile manufacturers looking specifically at Thin Boiling Starch, these published specifications provide a starting point for understanding the product.
What About SPAC Jet for High-Speed Looms?
SPAC Jet has a more specific positioning.
SPAC describes its SPAC Jet series as modified starch-based yarn-sizing products designed to suit the requirements of high-speed looms.
The website also states that SPAC One Shot is a single-product sizing agent and is specially designed to fulfil the sizing needs of Terry Towel industries.
For textile manufacturers whose requirement is connected specifically with high-speed looms, SPAC Jet therefore represents a product in SPAC’s range that is directly positioned for that requirement.
Where Does SPAC Plast Fit?
SPAC Plast is another modified starch in the textile range.
SPAC describes it as a cost- and performance-efficient modified starch for sizing cotton and blends. It has been engineered for film formation, adhesion, flexibility, and pliability to cater to sizing needs on high-speed weaving machines.
The website also lists textile-related characteristics and applications, including uniform coating, film formation, yarn sizing, fibre binding, and improved yarn-to-yarn and yarn-to-loom abrasion resistance.
This makes SPAC Plast particularly relevant when the requirement involves cotton and blends and high-speed weaving applications.
Can Textile Tapioca or Maize Starch Be Used?
SPAC also offers Textile Tapioca Starch and Textile Maize Starch.
The Textile Tapioca Starch page lists its applications under sizing and dyeing, including warp sizing, fabric finishing and printing. Its published technical specifications include pH, moisture content, viscosity, fibre content, sieve retention, ash content, sulphur dioxide, brightness and free acidity.
The Textile Maize Starch page similarly lists sizing and dyeing applications, including warp sizing, fabric finishing and printing.
So, the choice does not have to be based simply on whether the starch comes from tapioca or maize.
The intended textile application is an important part of the selection.
What Makes the Choice Different for High-Speed Weaving?
The term “high-speed” changes the way textile manufacturers may look at sizing products.
SPAC specifically positions SPAC Jet for high-speed looms and SPAC Plast for sizing needs on high-speed weaving machines.
At the same time, SPAC TEX is positioned around low and uniform viscosity and yarn weaving.
This means that a textile manufacturer should first identify the actual sizing requirement before choosing a product.
For example:
High-speed loom requirement → Look at products specifically positioned for high-speed weaving.
Terry Towel sizing requirement → Look at the product specifically designed for Terry Towel sizing.
Warp sizing, finishing, or printing → Consider the textile Tapioca or Maize Starch applications listed by SPAC.
The objective is not to find one starch that is automatically right for every textile process.
It is to match the product with the application described for it.
Why Product Specifications Still Matter
Product descriptions tell you where a starch is intended to be used.
Technical specifications provide another layer of information.
SPAC publishes technical specifications for its textile starch products, including parameters such as pH, moisture content, viscosity, and ash content. The exact limits differ between products.
That is why textile manufacturers should evaluate the specification of the particular product they are considering instead of applying one specification across the entire textile starch range.
Choosing the Right Textile Starch
There is no need to make textile starch selection complicated.
Start with the actual application.
If the requirement is related to high-speed looms, SPAC’s product range includes SPAC Jet and SPAC Plast, both specifically positioned around high-speed weaving applications.
If the requirement is yarn weaving with low and uniform viscosity, SPAC TEX is specifically described for that application.
If the requirement involves Terry Towel sizing, SPAC One Shot is specifically designed for that purpose.
And for sizing and dyeing applications such as warp sizing, fabric finishing, and printing, SPAC also offers Textile Tapioca and Textile Maize Starch.
The important point is simple:
Don’t choose a textile starch only by its name. Choose it by the application it is designed for.
Frequently Asked Questions About Starch Performance
Which SPAC starch is designed for high-speed looms?
SPAC Jet is described as a modified starch-based yarn-sizing product designed to suit the requirements of high-speed looms. SPAC Plast is also described as a modified starch developed for sizing needs on high-speed weaving machines.
What is SPAC TEX?
SPAC TEX is SPAC’s Thin Boiling Starch. It is described as having low and uniform viscosity and is used in yarn weaving and textile sizing applications.
Which SPAC product is designed for Terry Towel industries?
SPAC One Shot is described as a single-product sizing agent specially designed to fulfil the sizing needs of Terry Towel industries.
Does SPAC offer Tapioca and Maize Starch for textile applications?
Yes. SPAC offers Textile Tapioca Starch and Textile Maize Starch, with sizing and dyeing applications including warp sizing, fabric finishing, and printing.
How should textile manufacturers choose between SPAC's textile starch products?
The choice should begin with the intended textile application and the product’s published specifications. SPAC offers different textile starch products with different stated applications and characteristics.
Looking for the Right Textile Starch?
High-speed weaving, yarn sizing, Terry Towel sizing, warp sizing, and textile finishing can have different requirements.
SPAC offers a range of textile starch products, including Thin Boiling Starch, Textile Tapioca Starch, Textile Maize Starch, SPAC Jet, SPAC One Shot and SPAC Plast.
Explore SPAC’s textile starch range and contact the team to discuss the product suited to your textile application.