FSN 101 W6 - Natural Fibres pt 1

What are all the cellulosic fibres?

Cotton, flax, ramie, Jute Hemp, sisal, kapok, coir, Abaca, Pina, Bamboo

What are the top producers of cotton?

China, india, USA

What parts of cotton plant can be used

All of it. Is also regulated as a food product because it enters the food chain

How is cotton fibre made?

cotton fibre comes from machine pod, cotton gin works by pulling cotton through wire teeth through rotating cylinder. Separate fibres from seed pod. Used to make paper and other stuff too.

What are linters?

fibres remaining after ginning process. Used in lots of other things.

What is the size of cotton cross section

kidney bean shape.

What is Pima cotton?

grows in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and California. Higher quality clothes, bed linens

What is considered the highest quality cotton?

Egyptian cotton is considered finest cotton in world. Grows along Nile river.

Where does sea island cotton grow, and what are it’s feature

grows off coast of georgia and south carolina. Strong, lustrous, uniform.

What are fox fibres and who engineered them?

Naturally coloured fibre by sally fox. She bred brown cotton seeds. Rust brown, red and beige. Deepen with age. These have been around since 7000 bc. Not as popular because they weren’t as strong. But they have resistance to mildew, staining, water, bacteria, UV rays, bc or tannins

Why is cotton comfortable, and how does the fibre steucture play a role in that?

Known for comfort because of convoluted shape of fibres, allowing for air space, doesn’t sit directly against skin

Is cotton hydrophillic or hydrophobic?

Hydrophilic, absorbs moisture however. Positive, this prevents static buildup and prevents static

Cotton facts about laundering:

Dirt can be absorbed, but can be laundered well.

Can shrink because fibres well during wash and contract during drying.

What is poplin made of, and what are its benefits?

often cotton. Can also be poly. Lightweight, comfortable, breathable. Good choice for shirts and recess. Crisp and with sheen. Water repellent. Firm, durable, tightly woven, fine crosswise ribs. Almost 3x more warp than weft. However not waterproof.

Is cotton stronger or weaker when wet?

20% stronger

What detergents can you use on cotton?

All

Does cotton have low or high resilience?

Low - must be ironed, wrinkly.

Does cotton have low or high elasticity?

Low, spandex can be added to address this.

What substances degrade cotton?

vinegar. Fungi, mildew, bacteria.

Prolonged exposure to sunlight.

What is Mercenization? Describe the process and what it’s used for:

straightens cotton fibres, improves their hand, makes it drape better, more absorbent to dyes. Put cotton yarn under tension, immerse under soda. Then rinsed, causing fibres to swell permanently.

What is flax made into, and what are some common random things you’ll find it in?

Tablecloths, dish towels, mummies, US money.

What part of the flax plant do flax fibres come from?

Comes from stem and flower.

What are the flax seeds used for?

used to make linseed oil, which is used in paints and varnishes. Also a treatment for fibres, oil cloth.

What does flax look lkle under microscope?

like bamboo under microscope. Requires extensive processing because the fibres are quite brittle. Often quite wrinkly.

What is rippling?

Process of removing seeds from flax plant

What are the three primary features of flax processing?

Retring, breaking, hackled

What is retting in flax production?

Process by which flax fibres are released from the plant’s stem by monitored natural degradation. Makes it easier to get at the fibre inside of the stem.

What is breaking in process of flax production?

process of separating fibres from the stem.

What is hackled in the lrocess of flax production?

process of combing fibres to separate the shorter fibres (tow) from the longer fibres (line).

What is the diffeernce between tow and line?

Tow are the shorter fibres, line the longer.

What is cottonizing?

process of reducing the fibre length to lose similar to cotton, so it can be processed similar to cotton

What are the benefits of flax?

Long fibre length with interesting texture, fibre weight similar to cotton but with larger diameter, Crisp hand, structured drape, stronger & better sun resistance than cotton, stronger when wet,

What are the drawbacks of flax?

Elasticity and resilience lower than cotton, wrinkles more

More absorbent

Damaged by acids, mildew and silverfish

Poor flex abrasion, so it can’t be folded repeatedly in same place or the fibres will break.

What are the features and banafits of ramie?

Fast growing, can be harvested every 60 days.

Fine diameter, high lustre

White, good absorb

lightweight summer clothes, pants, table linens and curtains, often blended with other fibres for added softness

What are the drawbacks of ramie?

stiff and brittle, resistant to mildew, rotting, mildew, shrinkage

What are the features of jute, and what is it often used in?

has shorter fibres than other baste fibres

weakest of cell. firbes

light to dark brown

carpet badcking, burlap backing

What is hemp similar to, and what is it used in?

Close relative to weed plant. was banned for a bit. Strength similar to linen. Used for industrial fibres, twine, rope. Can be combined with other materials. Becoming more common for apparel.

What are the pros of hemp?

Pros: mildew resistant, absorbs dye well, high UV protection, much stronger than cotton and softens with age.

What are the cons of hemp?

It shrinks and it has less elasticity.

What is sisal used to make?

Rope, twine, brush bristles, carpeting

What does kapok come from?

Fibre from seedpod of java kapok tree.

What is kapok primarily used for?

Stuffing. Great resiliency and bouancy, too short for anything else

What does coir come from, and what are its features?

Between nut and outside shell of coconut

After the nut is removed, the husk is soaked to remove fiber, Used for bristles, mats.

Good elasticity, abrasion resistance.

What does abaca come from, and what is it used in?

Extracted from banana shrub, made in Phillipines. Ropes and mats, wicker, table linen. Strong, antibacterial, wicking, also used in clothing. Good alterative to synthetic fibres

What feature does pina have ri be used in a certain kind of clothing?

Formalwear in the Philippines, luxurious and glossy.

Whay is pinatex…like what material does it make

Alternative to leather. Made from pineapple leaves.

What are the benefits of bamboo?

Grown without pesticides, no irrigation, rarely needs to be replanted, can be harvested 3-5 years. Great to prevent erosion

Breathable and thermal regulating, great performance fabric, fast drying.

What are the two types of bamboo, and which one is more common?

Mechanical and chemical. Chemical wayy more common