Desizing:Desizing is the process of removing the size material from the warp yarns in woven fabrics. Before understanding desizing process, one has to understand sizing process.

Sizing/Slashing: Slashing is the process where Size chemicals are applied to the warp yarns, to make the yarns weavable. The purpose of size  is to protect the yarn from the abrasive action of the loom parts. The process is carried out on a Slasher machine and the application procedure is called Sizing or Slashing.

Sizing agents: 

1. Natural sizing agents: Starch and starch derivatives; native starch, degradation starch and chemical modified starch products such as Cellulose derivatives, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), methyl cellulose and oxyethylcellulose etc.

2. Synthetic sizing agent: Polyacrylates,  Modified polyesters, Polyvinyl alcohols(PVA) etc.

Desizing Starch: Once a starch solution dries, the resulting film will not readily re-dissolve in water; therefore, to completely remove starch from a fabric, the polymer must be chemically degraded to make it water  soluble. Following four chemical methods can be used to convert/degrade starch into water soluble compounds.  These are:

•Rot steeping

•Acid steeping

•Oxidative desizing

•Enzymatic desizing