Exam 1 Study Guide Definitions

staple fibers

short fibers measured in inches or centimeters

filament fibers

long, continuous fiber strands of indefinite length, measured in miles or kilometers

monofilament

fiber made of one filament

multifilament

fiber made of multiple filaments

smooth filaments

produce silklike fabrics

bulked filaments

crimped filaments, cottonlike or woollike

filament tow

loose rope of several thousand fibers, is crimped or textured, and cut to staple length

diameter

influences performance, hand, and how it feels

large diameter fibers

crisp, rough, stiff, resist crushing

small diameter fibers

soft, pliable, drape easily, more comfortable to wear

denier

weight in grams of 9000 meters of fiber

tex

weight in grams of 1000meters of fiber

nylon, polyester, lyocell cross sections

circular, uniform in diameter

flax cross section

polygonal, lobes, lumen

wool cross section

oval/round, medulla, overlapping scales

cotton cross section

flat, oval lumen, convolutions

rayon cross section

circular, serrated, lengthwise striations

acrylic, spandex cross section

dog-bone

modified nylon or polyester cross section

square with voids or trilobal

silk cross section

triangular, rounded edges

acetate cross section

lobular, lengthwise striations

degree of polymerization

number of molecules connected in a chain

amorphous

molecular chains are arranged in a random or disorganized way

crystalline

molecular chains are parallel to each other

orientation

molecular chains are aligned through the lengthwise axis

stretching / drawing

chains slide and become parallel to each other

amorphous fibers

wool, cotton, and rayon

amorphous properties

poor elasticity, good moisture absorbency, dyeability, and flexibility

highly oriented and crystalline fibers

polyester, nylon, and aramid

highly oriented and crystalline properties

strong, stiff, nonabsorbent

main cellulosic fibers

cotton, linen

cellulosic fiber properties

good absorbency, heat conduction, heat resistance, electrical conduction, light resistance, compressibility, moth resistant
low resiliency, loft, heavy, harmed by acids, attacked by mildew, flammable

cellulosic fiber origins

seeds, stems, roots, leaves, and fruit

mercerization

makes cotton cross sections round, increase luster, strength, and absorbency

moisture on cellulose fibers

damages fibers: swelling and shrinkage, mold growth

cotton processing

cultivation
ginning
carding
roving
drawing
combing

convolutions

twists in cotton fibers from collapsed lumens, causes cohesiveness

flax processing

cultivation
rippling
retting
scutching
hacking

types of retting

water, dew, chemical

minor cellulose fibers

ramie, jute, kenaf, bamboo, pineapple, sisal, henequen

cottonizing

bast fibers cut to cotton length, blended with cotton
allows other fibers to be used with cotton machinery

cotton byproducts

cottonseed oil, cattle feed

protein fiber properties

high resiliency, hygroscopic, weaker when wet, lighter than cellulosic, flame resistant
harmed by alkali, oxidizing agents, and dry heat

main protein fibers

wool, silk

crosslinking

helps wool compressibility

chemical structure of wool

protein: keratin
contains disulfide bonds

chemical structure of silk

protein: fibroin and sericin
does not contain disulfide bonds

properties of wool

scales, biocomponent fiber, medulla, cortex, fuzzy

scales

contribute to felting

biocomponent fiber

two different cell types cause a crimp in fiber and increases dye affinity. when wet, one side of the fiber swells

medulla

hollow core that helps with insulation

goat family

mohair
cashmere

camel family

bactrian camel
llama
alpaca
vicuna
guanaco

other wool

angora
qiviut

mohair source

angora goats

sheared wool

fleece is shaved, higher quality

pulled wool

from dead animals, lower quality

filature

factory where silk cocoons are processed

silk properties

high luster, absorbency, dimensional stability, tenacity
good abrasion resistance, resiliency, elastic recovery, thermal retention

silk reeling

process of unwinding silk filaments and combining them into thread

wild, dupioni silk

moths survive, threads are shorter and less uniform

domesticated silk

steamed, filament fibers, finer and smoother

regenerated fiber material source

cellulose and protein

regenerated cellulose fibers

rayon, lyocell, acetate

regenerate protein fibers

azlon

HWM rayon

viscose with more steps: zinc added to spinning, more durable, higher tenacity, mostly in US

viscose

silkier and more lustrous than HWM rayon, mostly in Europe

manufacturing process of regenerated fibers

dope / melt is prepared
extrude through spinneret
solidified via coagulation, evaporation, or cooling

wet spun fibers

acrylic, modacrylic, rayon, aramid, spandex, lyocell

dry spun fibers

acetate, acrylic, modacrylic, spandex

melt spun fibers

polyester, nylon, olefin, saran

regenerated fiber properties

high absorbency, breathable, good drape

spinneret

nozzle in which dope or melt is extruded from to give fiber its shape

regenerated vs synthetic

regenerated fibers are made from natural materials, synthetics are made from fossil fuels

major synthetic fibers

nylon, polyester, acrylic, spandex

elastomeric fibers

spandex, rubber

synthetic fiber properties

heat sensitive
heat settable
chemical resistance
hydrophobic
pilling
static build-up
oleophilic

first synthetic fiber

nylon

most widely used synthetic

polyester

best imitator of wool and linen

acrylic

spandex properties

can be mono or multifilament, durable, high tenacity, resistance to oils and perforation

synthetic fibers first introduced

1870s - rayon
1930s - nylon

generic names

family of manufactured fibers with similar chemical composition

fiber modifications

size and shape of spinneret
molecular structure and crystallinity
addition of other compounds
modify spinning process
combine two polymers into fiber or yarn

delustering

titanium dioxide added to spinning solution, creates dark spots within fiber, produces duller fibers. fiber more susceptible to light

comfort stretch

ability of fiber to elongate and recover as body moves

power stretch

ability of fiber to show high retractive forces: mold, support, and shape body

special use fiber properties

chemical, heat, and/or fire resistant
high cost
industrial and technical use
high tenacity
resist stretching
impact and abrasion resistance

aramid types

kevlar, nomex

kevlar properties

damage resistant, lightweight

nomex properties

heat and combustion resistance, softer