TS 110 Textile Fibers

What makes up the textiles market

Apparel = 35% of the market

Interior furnishing = 35% of the market (furniture, kitchen, bath)

Industrial = 30% of the market (luggage, flags, boat sails, bandages, dust filter)

What are fibers?

• Small, hairlike part of the fabric 

  • natural = cotton and wool

  • manufactured = acrylic, nylon, and polyester 

what are yarns 

thread like strands of gibers twisted together 

Fabric constructions

woven, knitted, non-woven 

Fiber performance properties

• determine the behavior characteristics of fibers and thus their sustainability in specific use conditions

  • fiber length

  • shape

  • surface

  • diameter

  • longitudinal configuration

  • chemical composition

  • molecular formulation

Aesthetics

• Properties relating to visual and tactical effect 

  • flexibility

  • hand

  • luster

  • pilling

  • resiliency

  • specific gravity

  • static electricity

  • thermoplasticity

Durability 

• properties relating to resistance to signs of wear 

  • abrasion resistance

  • chemical effects

  • environmental conditions

  • strength

comfort

• properties relating to physical comfort 

  • absorbency

  • cover

  • elasticity

  • wicking

Safety

• properties relating to danger of risk of injury 

  • Flamibility

Fiber length

short= staple

long = filament

fiber shape

determines the bulk, texture, luster and hand of the fiber

• a flat surfaced fiber has more luster than a round one

• round shaped fibers such as nylon offer a smoother, more slippery hand than wool

fiber surface

• can be smooth, rough, grooved or wrinkled

  • affects properties like hand, luster, and wicking

  • cotton us smooth, wool is scaled

fiber diameter 

thicker fibers result in greater stiffness while fine diameter fibers cen result in sheer light weight fabric 

longitudinal configuration

may be straight, twisted, coiled or crimped

• resiliency, elasticity, abrasion resistance are affected by longitudinal configuration

• cotton is twisted, whereas nylon is fairly straight

Chemical composition

related to its reaction to various items, such as bleaches, sunlight, moth, mildew, flames and perspiration

Molecular formation 

• arrangement of molecules within a fiber affects the strength, abrasion resistance, and resiliency 

• with natural fibers, little modification is possible

• with manufactured fibers, molecular modifications are possible 

staple fibers = spun yarns (all natural fibers expect silk)

silk and filament fibers = filament yarn

The 3 textile fiber categories

1. natural

2. manufactured cellulosic

3. manufactured non-cellulosic

natural fibers examples

• cotton 

• wool 

• silk 

• flax 

Cotton

• The most importance fiber

• largest produced natural fiber

• production affects social, economic, and environmental conditions around the world

• economic catalyst for developing countries as well as mainstay of industrial nations

• leading producers: China, India, US, and Pakistan

Flax

• comes from the stem of a flax plant

• considered the oldest textile fiber

• largest flax producers: Canada, France, Germany, and Belgium

• grown for both its fiber and seed

Silk 

• Fiber is a continuous strand of two filaments cemented together, which forms the cocoon of the silkworm 

• as much as 1,600 yards of fiber are used to make one cocoon 

• China is leading silk producer in the world 

Wool

• A fiber that forms the covering of sheep

• used since the stone age

• The fiber absorbs moisture slowly wothout feeling damp and provides a chemical reaction that releases the energy in heat form

• 40 different breeds of sheep produce about 200 types of wool fiber of varying grades

• leading producers of wool: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, China

All other natural fibers

• Specialty hair fibers

  • Angora

  • alpaca

  • camel hair

  • cashgora

  • cashmere

  • llama

  • mohair

  • quiviut

  • vicuna

  • yaka

• Bast fibers

  • bamboo

  • hemp

  • jute

  • ramie

History of manufactured fibers 

• Begins in early 1900s 

• with the advent of x-ray technology, it made it possible to see the structure of the fibers 

• began with commercial production of rayon and then nylon was produced in 1938

Spinning manufactured fibers

• made from chemical solutions

• chemical solutions are forced through tin holes, similar to water passing through a shower head

• the device used to form the filaments is called a spinnerette

Microfibers

• manufactured fibers that are much finer than normal fibers

• invented in Japan in 1980s

• fabrics with microfibers are softer, have more fluid drape, and the wicking is improved

• more expensive than generic manufactured fibers

• uses: blouses, suits, lingerie, running gear

Acetate 

A manufactured fiber, fiber forming substance is cellulose acetate 

acrylic

fiber-forming substance is any long-chain synthetic polymer composed of at least 85% acrylonitrile units

first production in 1950

lyocell

Manufactured fibers made from pulp of eucalyptus trees

Nylon

• aliphatic polyamides 

• fiber-forming substance is a long chain synthetic polyamide

• first commercial production happed in 1939 

Polyester

• first commercial production was in 1953

• most used manufactured fiber in US

• fiber-forming substance is any long-chain synthetic polymer

Elasterell-p

Federal Trade Commission approved elasterell-p in 2002

a bicomponent fiber (substantially different forms of polyester that offer significant stretch and recovery

secondary manufactured fibers for consumers 

• bamboo rayon 

• glass 

• metallic 

• modacrylic 

• triacetate 

Fiber Identification

• textile fibers can be identified by using different techniques

  • microscopic test

  • burning test

  • chemical solubility test

microscopic test 

• when viewed under a microscope, fibers varying configurations are visible 

burning test

flame and knowledge of the burning properties

• limitations

  • fibers with same burning properties

  • fabric finish may affect the test

  • blends can complicate the test

chemical solubility test 

• fiber identification can be made by which chemical will dissolve the sample 

  • acetic acid - will dissolve acetate

  • acetone - will dissolve acetate

  • hydrochloric acid - will dissolve nylon