chp. 1 introduction to Textiles
Chapter 1: Introduction to Textiles
Chapter Objectives
To identify the value of developing a professional knowledge of textiles.
To recognize the diversity in textiles and textile products.
To determine how textile apparel, interior, and technical products enhance the quality of life for individuals, communities, and society.
To describe the global nature of the textile complex.
Importance of Learning Textile Science
Evaluation and Determination: It is paramount for any career in the global textiles complex to be able to evaluate and determine the similarities and differences among fabrics.
Performance Differences: Learning textile science allows one to decipher performance differences in fibers, yarns, fabrics, and finishes.
Appropriate Choice: It enables the selection of the appropriate textile for a specific end use.
Consumer Trust: It helps ensure that consumer trust is not damaged by poorly performing textile products.
Key Terms
Polymer: A very large molecule made by connecting many small molecules together.
Almost all fibers are polymers.
Polymers are typically made of organic materials.
Examples: Polymer films like vinyl upholstery, cotton polymer.
Textile: A general term used to refer to any flexible material that is composed of thin films of polymers or of fibers, yarns, or fabrics or anything made from films, fibers, yarns, or fabrics.
Fiber: Any substance, natural or manufactured, with a high length-to-width ratio and with suitable characteristics for being processed into a fabric.
Can be broadly categorized as Staple (short fibers) or Filament (long, continuous fibers).
Can also be Natural (e.g., cotton, wool) or Manmade (Synthetic) (e.g., polyester, nylon).
Yarn: An assemblage of fibers, filaments, or materials twisted or laid together so as to form a continuous strand that can be made into a textile fabric.
Can be Spun (made from staple fibers) or Filament (made from filament fibers).
Can be Single (one continuous strand) or Double Ply (two or more single yarns twisted together).
Fabric: A planar substance constructed from solutions, fibers, yarns, or any combination thereof.
Types of Fabric Construction:
Wovens: Fabrics created by interlacing two or more sets of yarns, typically at right angles.
Knits: Fabrics created by interloping yarns.
Nonwovens: Fabrics made from fibers directly, without first forming yarns (e.g., felt, certain disposable materials).
Gray Goods (Grey or Greige): Any fabric that has not been finished.
Refers to unfinished woven or knit fabric.
Consumers rarely see gray goods directly.
Finish: Any process used to convert unfinished gray goods into a completed fabric.
A finish modifies the appearance or enhances the performance of the fabric.
Finishes cannot always be identified visually; for example, stain or wrinkle resistance might be a chemical finish applied to the fabric.
Coloration is the most common type of finish.
Coloration: Any dyeing or printing process used to add color with dyes or pigments to a textile.
Adds visual interest and fashion appeal to textiles.
Soft Goods: Products constructed of textiles and other flexible materials, including apparel, interior textiles, and technical textiles.
Apparel: Clothing, fashion accessories, and other items worn on the body, all made from textiles.
End Use: The application or function for which a textile is designed or for which it is ultimately used.
Types of Textiles
Interior Textiles: Textiles and textile products used in the home and other building interiors for functional purposes or to add comfort and visual interest.
Technical/Industrial Textiles: A broad range of materials that are widely used in special applications of a technical nature and that are generally not considered apparel or furnishings.
Smart Textiles/Fabrics: Textiles that sense and react to the environment or stimuli of an electrical, chemical, thermal, mechanical, magnetic, or other nature.
Textiles and Quality of Life
Textiles significantly enhance the quality of life across various categories:
Apparel: Provides clothing and accessories for protection, comfort, and fashion.
Interiors/Home Fashions: Includes items like upholstery, carpet, rugs, wall coverings, draperies/curtains, table linens, towels, and bedding, contributing to comfort, aesthetics, and functionality in living spaces.
Industrial Textiles: Used in diverse applications such as toothbrushes, bandages, seat belts, medical textiles, protective textiles, hospitality textiles, and geotextiles, demonstrating their critical role in health, safety, and infrastructure.
Examples are often summarized in tables like Table 1.1 in textbooks.
Global Textile Complex
Textile Complex: An international mix of related industries that provide soft goods for the world's population.
Globalization: The phenomenon where companies purchase from and/or sell to multiple sites around the world.
Globalization has led to an infinite number of options for every type of textile product available in the market (e.g., Figure 1.5 in textbooks often illustrates this global network).
Industry Response to Globalization: The textile industry has responded to the complexities of globalization by setting standards and establishing quality-control programs to make textile selection easier for consumers and businesses alike.
Regulations: Key regulations include care label and fiber content labeling laws, which provide consumers with important information about textile products.