ch. 3 Textile Fibers & Their Properties

Flashcards covering textile fibers, their properties, and identification methods from Chapter 3 lecture notes, in a fill-in-the-blank style.

Any substance, natural or manufactured, with a high length-to-width ratio and with suitable characteristics for being processed into a fabric is called a ___.

fiber

___ fibers are grown or developed in nature in recognizable fiber form.

Natural

Natural fibers can come from ___ (protein), ___ (cellulosic), or ___ sources.

animal, plant, mineral

Fibers made from chemical compounds produced in manufacturing facilities are known as ___ fibers.

manufactured (man-made)

The first manufactured fiber was created in ___.

1885

Polyester, Nylon, Olefin, Acrylic, Rayon, Lyocell, and Acetate are manufactured fibers most commonly used in ___ & ___.

apparel & interiors

Spandex, Aramids, and PBI are manufactured fibers most commonly used in ___ applications.

technical

Fiber properties include Physical Structure, Chemical Composition, and ___.

Molecular Arrangement

Length, Diameter, Cross-Section Shape, Surface Contour, Crimp, and Fiber Parts are all aspects of a fiber's ___.

Physical Structure

A ___ fiber is any natural or manufactured fiber produced in or cut to a short length measured in inches or cm.

staple

Fibers that are extremely long (measured in miles or km) or yarns made of these fibers are called ___ fibers.

Filament

Smooth filament fabrics are typically ___ and ___ with a slick surface.

shiny, lustrous

For natural fibers, ___ fibers usually indicate higher quality.

fine

___ is the weight in grams for 9,000 meters of fiber or yarn, used to measure diameter for manufactured fibers.

Denier

The cross-sectional shape of natural fibers is derived from their natural growth or extrusion, while manufactured fibers' shape is controlled by the ___ opening.

spinneret

___ describes the outer surface of the fiber along its length, affecting luster, hand, texture, and apparent soiling.

Surface contour

___ refers to the waves, bends, twists, coils, or curls along the length of the fiber.

Fiber crimp

Except for silk, natural fibers have an outer covering called a ___, an inner area, and a central core.

cuticle or skin

Fibers with similar chemical compositions that differ from those in another group are part of a ___.

generic group

The process of connecting many small molecules (monomers) to produce one very large molecule, called a polymer, is known as ___.

polymerization

A random or disorganized arrangement of molecular chains within a fiber is described as ___.

amorphous

Molecular chains that are parallel to each other in a fiber or in regions within a fiber are ___.

crystalline

The alignment of the fiber’s polymers along its longitudinal axis is called ___.

orientation

The ability of a textile product to meet consumers' needs is referred to as ___.

Serviceability

Serviceability includes Aesthetics, Durability, Comfort & Safety, Appearance Retention, Care, Environmental Concerns, Sustainability, and ___.

Cost

The ability of a textile to allow light to pass through it is defined as ___.

translucence

The way light is reflected from the fiber or fabric surface is known as ___.

luster

The way a fiber feels to the sense of touch is called ___.

hand

The ability of a fiber to withstand everyday rubbing or abrasion is known as ___.

abrasion resistance

The formation of tiny balls of fiber ends and lint on the fabric surface is called ___.

pilling

___ (Tensile Strength) is the ability of a textile to resist a pulling force.

Tenacity

Fibers with high moisture regain or absorbency are described as ___.

hydrophilic

Fibers that have a high affinity or attraction for oil are called ___.

oleophilic

The ability of a fiber to transfer moisture along its surface is known as ___.

wicking

The ability of a fiber to soften, melt, or shrink when subjected to heat is called ___.

heat sensitivity

The ability to return to original shape after bending, twisting, and/or compressing is known as ___.

resiliency

___ is the ability of a strained material to recover its original size and shape immediately after removing stress.

Elasticity

___ is the delayed or gradual recovery from elongation or strain.

Creep

___ is a finish or fiber modification to minimize degradative effects of sunlight exposure on fiber or dye.

Light Resistance

The four main methods of fiber identification are Visual Inspection, Burn Test, Microscopy, and ___.

Solubility

___ is the first step in fiber identification, examining appearance and hand.

Visual inspection

The ___ can identify a fiber's general chemical composition but cannot identify blends.

Burn Test

Identification of natural fibers is best done by ___.

microscopy

___ tests are used to identify manufactured fibers by generic class and to confirm natural fiber identification, using a specific chemical solvent for each fiber.

Solubility