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product design a level
textiles
refers to all flexible fabrics created from fibres, which are fine hair-like structures that can be made into fabrics by weaving, knitting or felting
natural - from plants or animals
synthetic - artificial, made using coal, oil
cotton
natural fibre produced from plants that grow in tropical climates, fibres from bolls that form after the flower has died
the boll has seeds , stalks and leaves removed during ginning
cotton is then sent to mills to be carded, which uses brushes to raw out the cotton into a thin film which is drawn into slivers
this process is repeated until fibres are very fine when they are spun into twisted thread, can or used for sewing or woven into fabric
use a lot of water to produce
can be used for clothing, towels, denim
cool, absorbent, dyed, printed, resists abrasion, good drape, static and cling resistant, various weights/thicknesses, good colour retention, recyclable
creases easily, flammable, damaged by uv
linen
strong fabric woven from fibres produced from flax, a plant grown in cool damp places, northern hemisphere
flax plants are harvested then laid out in fields for weeks tp allow micro-organisms to attack gum that holds fibre to stem, flax is then processed through gathering, drying and scutching (rolling and scraping) to obtain fibres
fibres are spun into yarn to produce linen
expensive and has smooth texture, range of weights
lightweight used for blouses and shirts, heavier used for embroidery
absorbs water well so good for bed linen and tea towels
withstands high temp, good conductor of heat
creases easily, difficult to dye, frays easily, expensive
wool
animal fleece, made of protein molecules, produces short fibre with kink or crimp with scales on fibre that trap air, may be soft or coarse depending on breed of sheep
warm, high absorbency, breathable, durable, repels rain, dyed, crease drop
expensive, can shrink, heavy when wet, itchy
nylon
forms a long filament when produced, can be cut into short fibres
light fibres and smooth with some silk properties, good strength
can be woven into very close weave to be windproof and water repellent
nylon 6 and nylon 6.6 - 6 through chemical reaction and 6.6 from single compound
excellent abrasion resistance, range of finishes, durable, lightweight
low absorbency, can shrink, poor resistance to uv, create static
polypropylene
good for clothing that needs to provide warmth but still be light, retains heat well and doesn’t absorb liquids easily so is ideal for outdoor clothing, doesn’t generate static electricity
abrasion resistant, lightweight, chemical resistant, quick drying, stain resistant
cannot be dyed, dry clean only, poor resistance to uv
polyester
can be easily dyed, resistant to shrinkage, wrinkling and stretching, quick drying process
synthetic material mostly comes from non-sustainable sources, although plastic bottles are increasingly being recycled to be used
monomers are joined to form polymers by polymerisation, polymer chains are spun into yarn
strong when wet, resistant to abrasion, dries quickly, durable, crease and stain resistant, recyclable, chemical/mould/sunlight resistant
low warmth, non-absorbent, static build up
flame resistant textile treatment
synthetic fibres are not flame resistant so need to be treated to increase flame resistance
phosphine gas, formaldehyde and mineral acid
slow down combustion process at stages such as heating, ignition and spreading
PTFE textile treatment
to provide protective surface to fabric, can result in fabric resistance to stain, works well on cotton and wool as doesn’t change feel or look
to apply protective coating to clothing, bedding, indoor furnishings, prevents liquids soaking in
