Research on the production process of acid- and alkali-resistant polyester cotton swabs

1. Selection of raw materials for acid- and alkali-resistant polyester cotton swabs
The production of acid- and alkali-resistant polyester cotton swabs begins with the selection of raw materials. As a synthetic fiber, polyester fiber has good physical and chemical stability and is an ideal material for making acid- and alkali-resistant cotton swabs. In addition, in order to enhance the acid and alkali resistance of cotton swabs, manufacturers will also select polyester fibers that have been specially treated, such as adding acid- and alkali-resistant additives or performing surface modification.

In addition to polyester fibers, the rod material of cotton swabs is also a key link. Common rod materials include plastic rods, wooden rods, and paper rods. For acid- and alkali-resistant polyester cotton swabs, plastic rods are favored because of their good corrosion resistance and plasticity. In particular, plastic materials such as polypropylene (PP) not only have good acid and alkali resistance, but are also easy to process and shape.

2. Special processes give acid and alkali resistance
(I) Fiber pretreatment
Before formal production, polyester fibers need to undergo a series of pretreatment processes. First, the fibers are sent to the cleaning tank to remove impurities and oil stains on the surface through a high-temperature and high-pressure cleaning process. This step is crucial to ensure the purity of the fiber and the uniformity of subsequent processing.

After cleaning, the fiber will enter the drying chamber for drying. The drying process requires precise control of temperature and humidity to prevent the fiber from becoming brittle due to overdrying or sticking due to excessive humidity. The dried fiber will be sent to the pretreatment tank and fully mixed with acid and alkali resistant additives. These additives can penetrate into the fiber and form stable chemical bonds with the fiber molecules, thus giving the fiber excellent acid and alkali resistance.

(II) Rod processing
For plastic rods, the processing process mainly includes two steps: extrusion molding and cutting. First, plastic raw materials such as polypropylene are fed into the extruder and extruded through a mold under high temperature and high pressure to form plastic rods with a certain diameter and length. During the extrusion process, parameters such as temperature, pressure and extrusion speed need to be precisely controlled to ensure the quality and dimensional accuracy of the plastic rod.

The extruded plastic rods are then sent to the cutting machine for cutting. The cutting machine cuts the plastic rods into uniform small segments according to the set length requirements. These small segments are the rods of cotton swabs. During the cutting process, the cutting surface needs to be kept flat and smooth to avoid adverse effects on the subsequent winding fibers.

(III) Fiber winding and shaping
Fiber winding is one of the key steps in the production of acid and alkali resistant polyester cotton swabs. In this step, the pretreated polyester fiber will be fed into the winding machine and evenly wound on the plastic rod through a specific winding method. During the winding process, the parameters such as fiber tension, winding speed and winding angle need to be precisely controlled to ensure that the fiber distribution at the head of the cotton swab is uniform, tight and firm.

After the winding is completed, the cotton swab will enter the shaping tank for shaping. The shaping tank is filled with shaping liquid, which can penetrate into the gap between the fiber and the rod material, so that the fiber and the rod are tightly combined. At the same time, the shaping liquid can also further chemically treat the fiber to enhance its acid and alkali resistance. After the shaping treatment is completed, the cotton swab will be sent to the drying room for drying to remove moisture and volatile substances in the shaping liquid.

(IV) Surface treatment and testing
In order to further improve the chemical corrosion resistance of acid- and alkali-resistant polyester cotton swabs, manufacturers will also perform surface treatment on them. Common surface treatment methods include coating acid- and alkali-resistant coatings and surface oxidation treatments. These treatment methods can form a protective film on the surface of the cotton swab, effectively blocking the erosion of acid and alkali substances.

The finished acid- and alkali-resistant polyester cotton swabs also need to undergo a strict testing procedure. The testing content includes appearance inspection, size measurement, acid- and alkali-resistant performance testing, etc. The appearance inspection mainly checks whether the head of the cotton swab is uniform, tight and has no shedding phenomenon; the size measurement ensures that the length, diameter and other dimensions of the cotton swab meet the

 standard requirements; the acid- and alkali-resistant performance test is to test the tolerance of the cotton swab in a strong acid- and alkali environment by simulating actual use scenarios.

3. Application advantages of acid- and alkali-resistant polyester cotton swabs
Acid- and alkali-resistant polyester cotton swabs have shown significant application advantages in many industries due to their unique acid- and alkali-resistant properties.

In the electronic semiconductor industry, acid- and alkali-resistant polyester cotton swabs are widely used in processes such as chip cleaning and circuit board wiping. Due to its excellent chemical corrosion resistance, it can effectively prevent acid and alkali substances from damaging chips and circuit boards during the cleaning process.

In chemical laboratories, acid and alkali resistant polyester cotton swabs are a powerful assistant in handling various chemical reagents. Whether it is strong acid or strong alkali reagents, acid and alkali resistant polyester cotton swabs can easily handle it, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of experimental results.

In the food processing industry, acid and alkali resistant polyester cotton swabs also play an important role. In the food processing process, various acid and alkali cleaning agents are often needed to clean equipment and containers. Acid and alkali resistant polyester cotton swabs can withstand the erosion of these cleaning agents, ensuring the smooth progress of the cleaning process and food safety.