Synthetic Fibres - POLYAMIDE, POLYESTER, ACRYLIC, ELASTANE

Textiles Revision

What is a synthetic fibre?

Man-made fibres

What is polyamide?

It is essentially nylon, fabric names include: nylon, tactel and tactel mirco (fabrics)

Where does polyamide originate from?

Crude oil and coal, made using polymers

What are the pros of polyamide?

Strong when wet, durable, reasonably cheap and resists bacteria

What are the cons of polyamide?

Poor absorbency and can be damaged by sunlight (makes it discolour and become weaker)

What are the properties of polyamide?

Strong, hard-wearing, good elasticity, thermoplastic (can be moulded with heat), does not decompose (can be good and bad), melts as it burns and can be made into many finishes (versatile)

What is colour fastness?

It is how successful a fabric is at retaining its colour (poor colour fastness changes colour easily)

What are the end uses of polyamide?

Clothing, ropes, carpets, rugs, seat belts, sports belting, women's stockings, toothbrushes

What is Polyester?

Terylene, polyester fleece, trevira, finesse, miratec, dacron (fabrics)

Where does polyester originate from?

Oil

What are the pros of polyester?

Strong when wet or dry, dries quickly, cheap, hard-wearing, resists bacteria and can be recycled

What are the cons of polyester?

Poor absorbency, snags and does not breathe

What are the properties of polyester?

Strong when wet and dry, flame resistant, thermoplastic, does not decompose, versatile

What are the end uses of polyester?

Wide range of textiles

What is Acrylic?

Courtelle, amicor (fabrics)

Where does acrylic originate from?

Coal and oil

What are the pros of acrylic?

Can be cheap, can be made warm, insulating and soft

What are the cons of acrylic?

Poor absorbency, weak when wet

What are the properties of acrylic?

Strong (weak when wet), thermoplastic, shrinks from heat but burns slowly then melts, soft and can be made into fine and course stable fibres

What are the end uses of acrylic?

Knitwear, knitted jersey, anti-bacterial socks, toys, fake fur, upholstery, and sportswear

What is Elastane?

Can be made into nylon and spandex (fabrics) and is in everything stretchy

Where does elastane originate from?

Coal and crude oil

What are the pros of elastane?

Shape retention, flexible and moisture wicking (pulls water to the outer surface of clothes)

What are the cons of elastane?

Sticks to your body, doesn't allow your skin to breathe easily, is sensitive to heat, specific washing instructions for spandex and has to be tumble dried on low temp

What are the properties of elastane?

Lightweight, supple, smooth, and soft, in clothing, prevents sagging, scratch resistant, stronger and more durable than rubber, higher retractive force force, resistant to deterioration by body oils

What are the end uses of elastane?

Dance wear, swimwear, showtime attire, performance bases attire

What is shape retention?

A fabrics ability to retract and retain its original shape