Textiles - Exam Notes
Sources, Origins, and Sustainability
Raw materials for textiles come from animal, vegetable, and synthetic sources.
Animal sources: wool, silk, hides.
Vegetable sources: cotton, linen, hemp, bamboo.
Synthetic sources: nylon, polyester, acrylic (from crude oil).
Textiles are sourced and manufactured globally, raising social and ecological concerns.
Ecological and social footprints are impacted by sourcing and processing.
Textile product lifecycles analysis helps understand the industry's impact on society and the environment.
Farming contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.
Deforestation occurs to create farmland for textile production, affecting biodiversity.
Drilling harvests fossil fuels used in textile production.
'Buying local' reduces environmental impact and can have positive social effects.
Oceanic pollution results from mismanagement of toxic by-products from textile processing.
Atmospheric pollution is caused by emissions from human activity related to textiles.
Responsible waste treatment and environmentally friendly detergents can increase sustainability.
Reducing packaging and using renewable materials cuts waste and energy use.
Washing clothes increases ecological impact.
Physical and Working Properties of Textiles
Textile properties affect product suitability and performance.
Key textile properties include aesthetics, drape, intended lifespan, cost, durability, resilience, availability, weight, and elasticity.
Wool is crease-resistant and a good thermal insulator.
Cotton is soft, durable, and easy to wash but creases easily.
Polyester is durable, crease and stain-resistant, strong, and often blended.
Acrylic is lightweight, quick-drying, and crease-resistant.
Additional textiles: silk, linen, polyamide (nylon), elastane (Lycra), Lyocell™, viscose, acetate, Tencel®.
Linen is durable, absorbent, hypoallergenic, and dries faster than cotton.
Silk is a luxury material that drapes beautifully and retains its shape.
Elastane and polyamide are synthetic fabrics with exceptional elasticity.
Lyocell™ is eco-friendly but expensive to produce.
Regenerated cellulosic fabrics (viscose, acetate, Tencel®) are cheaper but crease easily.
Working properties: tensile strength, breathability, absorbency, electrical and heat conductivity.
Physical characteristics include allergenicity, density, and texture.
Hypoallergenic fabrics: cotton, linen, hemp, and silk.
Fabric construction methods affect texture, density, and elasticity.
Satin weave is lustrous and drapes well.
Jacquard is a type of satin weave with complex patterns.
Pile fabrics have densely packed upright yarns.
Influence of Forces and Stresses on textiles
Forces and stresses can be resisted through reinforcement techniques.
Shapes of fibers give yarns and fabrics different properties.
Reinforcement and stiffening methods enhance garment shape/ material properties.
Methods include ribs/boning, lamination, stay stitching, and embedding composite materials.
Adding ribs/boning gives structure.
Lamination joins material layers.
Stay stitching resists forces during manufacturing.
Embedding composites creates high-performance products.
Fabrication, assembly, and construction processes resist damage.
Material Selection Factors
Designers consider various factors when selecting textile materials, including aesthetics, environment, availability, cost, social, cultural and ethical issues.
Textiles are versatile materials used in garments, interiors, agriculture, and industry.
Aesthetic Factors: Form, colour and texture.
Environmental Factors: Considers ecological footprint
Sustainability includes responsible sourcing, manufacture, use and disposal.
Upcycling and reuse are sustainable ways of disposing of textiles.
Availability Factors: Considers stock forms and sizes and specialist materials.
Material costs area factor.
Social Factors: Considers traditions and cultural differences.
Ethical Factors today encourages designers and manufacturers to make more ethical decisions.
Stock Forms, Planning and Production
Production volumes vary from one-off to continuous production.
One-off production involves making a single product, also known as tailor-made, which may be linked with design for disability which has high unit cost.
Batch production produces more than one unit in a set or batch for seasonal items.
Mass production makes products factories with a higher level of automated which has high set-up costs and low unit costs
Continuous production is runs non-stop, 24/7, to meet constant demand which may use yarns and utility fabrics.
Textiles are sold in various forms (rolls, blocks) sold by length, weight or per unit
Fabric is sold on a roll that have widths of 90, 137, and 154cm.
Fabric weight is measured in grams per square metre (GSM) which is affected by construction, fibers used and finishes applied.
Single weight knit creates a side and a back side whereas:
Double weight fabric has two smooth surfaces.
Yarn weight is the thickness.
Fabrics can be layered and bonded together as laminates to enhance their properties.
Processes are needed to maximise efficiently across high tech and low tech for: one-off, batch, mass production.
Stamps and methods are used to cut and shape material.
CAM (Computer-aided manufacture) automates processes and has pin point accuracy.
Templates and patterns are used to mark out fabric for symbols.
Sub-assemblies are key parts constructed away from the main production line.
Quality Control checks are undertake at various stages during manufacture of product to check for raw fabric and components.
Material Processing
The textiles industry requires labor-intensive processes, even with high-volume production, across hand tools, machinery and digital design and manufacturing.
Hand tools are versatile, readily available, where coutoure fashion houses use hand tooks and sewing machines to use and effevtive.
Hand tools may require: Tailor shears, measuring tape, pins, chalk and needles
Machinery have replaced manual labour to make processing more efficient by sewing machines and overlockers and electronic cutters.
Digital design and manufacturing has improved quality, consistency and efficiency where CAD/CAM skill is expected in the industry using nesting.
Textile poducts are shaped into 3D firms with techniques of sowing, gathering, darts and tuckes and steam and heat of adhesive from moulding fabrics.
Making techniques: Using draping, with seams, raw edges, wsting and addition techniques with conponents.
Surface Treatments and Finishes
Surface treatments and finishes enhance textile performance or aesthetics through:
Printing, painting, and dyeing.
Layering and stitching (embroidery, appliqué, quilting).
Chemical, physical, and biological treatments.
Smart material additives.
Textile Printing: Most printing is based on three principles:
Relief printing (engraved blocks/rollers).
Digital printing (direct).
Screen printing (mesh/screen).
Dyeing Techniques Used:
Resist dyeing (prevents dye reaching whole textile with wax, stencils).
Batik (wax applied by hand).
Mechanical resist (binding, stitching, folding).
Silk painting (latex resist).
Various textile are constructed for decorative purposes for Bold and Children's clothing are a fabric for layer for specific shape with layers of fabric with patchwork with geometric or figurative quilt.
Enzymes are used in treatments with reduces environmental impact for: Biostoning and biopolishing on cotton
Fabric properties are enhanced through chemicals and physical means with smart treatments, or heat through laminated, and coating and nano coatings when commercially dyed.