Textile Fibers: Properties, Finishes, and Classifications
Cotton Finish
Mercerization
-Sodium hydroxide is used to increase cotton’s absorbency, luster, & strength.
Quality of COTTON
- High quality: Combed (removed short fibers)
- Lower quality: Not combed
Linen Finish
Beetling
Yarns are flattened (pounded) to create a fabric that looks more regular and tighter. Also increases sheen.
Linen Quality
- High Quality: “Line” – Long, combed
- Low Quality: “Tow” – Short flax fibers. Line fibers are ready for wet spinning into yarn. Tow fibers must be carded before dry spinning into yarns for heavier fabrics for interior textiles.
Silk Finish
Weighting
Treatment of silk with metallic salts to increase the fabric’s weight, hand, and dye affinity. May result in accelerated degradation of silk “Shattered Silk.”
Quality of SILK
- High Quality: Reeled – filament length (smooth, lustrous)
- Less Quality: Spun – staple length (more cotton-like in appearance & less lustrous)
Wool Finish
Carbonizing
Treatment for wool in which acid removes cellulosic matter and prepares the fiber for dying. Also moth resistant.
Quality of WOOL
High Quality
Worsted Yarn – smooth, straight, & uniform. Wool or wool-like yarn that has been processed to remove short fibers and make remaining fibers more parallel.
Low Quality
Woolen Yarn – Softer, more loosely twisted yarn, and implies shorter, less uniform in length and less parallel fibers.
Textile Basics
What does TFPIA stand for and what does it state?
Textile Fiber Products Identification Act
– Every garment sold in the US must have a tag identifying fiber content in descending order.
What are the 2 main classifications of fibers?
Natural & Man-Made
What are the 5 components of Textiles?
- Fiber
- Yarn
- Structure
- Finish
- Coloring
What are the 2 main groups of natural fibers?
- Cellulose: Comes from a plant
- Protein: Comes from an animal
What are the 2 main groups of man-made fibers?
- Natural: Regenerated cellulose
- Synthetic: Produced by synthetic polymers made from basic raw materials (Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen)
What are the 4 main natural fibers?
Silk, cotton, wool, linen
What are the major groups by which fiber properties are classified? What specific properties fall into each group?
A fiber property is a physical feature or resultant behavior of a fiber.
- Physical Structure
- Chemical composition & molecular arrangement
- Serviceability
List and discuss 10 fiber properties. Explain how each affects the fiber and impacts the use for the consumer.
Aesthetic Properties
Relates to the senses such as touch and sight. Examples: Luster, Drape, Texture, Hand.
Comfort Properties
Relate to the ability of a textile to feel good when worn. Examples: Absorbency, Thermal Retention, Heat Conductivity (Breathable).
Appearance – Retention Properties
Examples: Resiliency, Dimensional Stability, Elasticity (elastic recovery), Mildew Resistance, Moth resistance.
Pilling (Durability)
The formation of balls of fiber on the fabric surface.
Hand (Aesthetic)
The way a fiber feels, a tactile sensation: Silky, harsh, soft, crisp, dry.
Resiliency (Appearance)
Ability to return to original shape after bending, twisting, compressing, or a combination of deformations.
Heat Sensitivity (Comfort)
Ability to shrink, soften, or melt when exposed to heat.
Cost (Also serviceability)
Cost of producing fiber is directly related to how fiber is produced and marketed. Factors: Manual labor, Cost of production, Supply and demand.
Strength/Tenacity (Durability)
The ability to resist stress and is expressed as tensile strength (pounds/sq in.) / or as Tenacity (grams per denier). Ability of a textile to withstand a pulling force.
Care Properties (Also serviceability)
Treatments that are required to maintain the new look of the fabric. Reaction to water, chemical, heat. Different fibers respond to chemicals in unique ways. Reaction to acids or alkalis (Bleach).
Which fiber can be felted and why?
Wool. Unique & important property of wool under mechanical action – combining agitation, friction and pressure with heat & moisture.
Properties, Advantages, and Disadvantages of Major Fibers
Cotton
Properties
- Absorbent
- Low resilience (wrinkles easily)
- Matte luster
- Moderate strength
- Moderate durability
- Inexpensive
- Prone to pilling
- Good conductor of heat
- Moderate abrasion resistance
Advantages
- Stronger when wet
- Comfortable/breathes
- Easy care
- Inexpensive
Disadvantages
- Mildews
- Wrinkles
- Poor stretch
- Poor heat retention
Linen
Properties
- Highly absorbent
- Low resilience (wrinkles easily)
- High luster
- Very strong
- Highly durable
- Moderately expensive
- Resistant to pilling
- Good conductor of heat
- Good abrasion resistance
Advantages
- Very strong & durable
- High luster
- Comfortable (breathes)
Disadvantages
- Low resiliency (Wrinkles)
- Elasticity & Elongation poor
- Over-all appearance retention poor
Silk
Properties
- Moderately absorbent
- High resilience (resists wrinkles)
- High luster
- Strong
- Moderately durable
- Expensive
- Resistant to pilling
- Poor conductor of heat (warm)
- Moderate abrasion resistance
Advantages
- Sheen (Shiny/beautiful)
- Smooth
- Comfortable in warm weather (absorbs) and in winter (heat retention)
Disadvantages
- Laundering is difficult (weaker when wet – dye bleeds)
- Resistance to light is poor
- Expensive
Wool
Properties
- Highly absorbent
- High resilience (resists wrinkles)
- Matte luster
- Moderately strong
- Durable
- Moderately expensive
- Prone to pilling
- Poor conductor of heat (warm)
- Moderate abrasion resistance
Advantages
- Excellent elongation, flexibility, & elasticity (Resilient!)
- Hygroscopic
- Heat Retention
Disadvantages
- Scales may irritate skin
- Difficult to launder
- Moths destroy
Common Fabrics from Major Fibers
Cotton
Broadcloth, Denim, Khaki, Brocade, Flannel, Lace, Calico, Foulard, Muslin
Wool
Flat woven, twill weave, plain weave
Silk
Chiffon, china silk, charmeuse, jacquard
Linen
Dowlas, ramie
Unique Characteristics of Major Fibers
Cotton
– Nature’s “comfort” fiber. Very comfortable, soft, breathes, and is easily cared for.
Linen
– Nature’s “strongest” fiber. Very strong, 2-3 times stronger than cotton. Has a stiffer hand and drape.
Wool
– Nature’s “Living” Fiber. More hygroscopic than any other fiber. Wool has scales that contribute to felting, aid in trapping heat, and help repel moisture initially.
Silk
– Nature’s “Luxury” Fiber. Silk is the ONLY natural filament fiber.
Man-Made vs. Synthetic Fibers
What is the difference between man-made fibers and synthetic fibers?
The difference is the raw material from which the fiber is formed. Regenerated fibers are produced from naturally occurring polymers, the polymers for synthetic fibers are synthesized or made from small, simple molecules.
What is a bast fiber? What is a seed fiber?
Bast fibers are fibers removed from the stem of a plant. Examples: Linen, Hemp, Ramie.
Seed fibers are fibers that are removed from a plant’s seed pod. Example: Cotton.
How does absorbency relate to static?
Fibers with good absorbency tend to be good electrical conductors.
Electrical conductivity – ability to transfer electrical charges.
Absorbent fibers do not build up static charge readily and do not attract lint or create problems with static cling.
Spinning Processes and Qualities of Natural Fibers
The long continuous filament fibers can’t be used for blending because they’re too long and too difficult to handle. Also, natural fibers, such as wool and cotton.
Other natural fibers that can be used for yarn include linen and cotton. These tend to be much less elastic, and retain less warmth than the animal-hair yarns, though they can be stronger in some cases.
The most commonly spun animal fiber is wool harvested from sheep. For hand knitting and hobby knitting, thick, wool and acrylic yarns are frequently used.
Other animal fibers used include alpaca, angora, mohair, llama, cashmere, and silk.
Basic Processing of Natural Fibers
Cotton
- Harvested
- Ginning (removing fiber from seeds)
- Bailing and classification
At the mill…
- Blending
- Carding (stretching)
- Drawing
- Combing (optional – finer fabrics)
- Spinning (Creating yarn)
Cotton is a staple fiber ranging from 1/2 to 2-1/2 inches long.
Linen
- Harvested by machines, stalks pulled, bundled, and dried.
- Rippling – Separating seed from stalk by threshing machines.
At the mill…
- Retting (soaking & rotting)
- Scutching (removal of outer fibers from woody stalk/core)
- Hackling (carding & combing of cotton). Flax tow is ‘carded,’ flax line is “combed.”
Wool
- Most wool shorn from sheep -OR: Pulled off after ingesting or injecting chemicals.
- Raw wool has grease (Lanolin). Clean wool (Scoured wool).
- Grading: quality determined by fineness & length.
- Sorting: Best wool comes from back, shoulders & sides. Quality of wool dictates end use.
Mill Processing:
- Blending
- Carding
- Drawing
- Combing
- Spinning
Silk
- Produced by silk worm (2500-3000 cocoons for 1 yard of fabric). Farmed & fed mulberry leaves. IF cocoons break, fibers processed like cotton – spun silk of staple length (Silk Noil – Waste).
- Moth stifled with heat. Cocoons sorted by fiber size, quality, defects.
- Soaking to soften sericin. Reeling 3-8 filaments at a time. Throwing – twisting to add strength. Result is filament silk approx. 1000 yards long.
Processing of Man-Made Fibers
Man-Made Cellulose Fibers vs. Man-Made Synthetics
Synthetic fibers are the result of extensive research by scientists to improve on naturally occurring animal and plant fibers. In general, synthetic fibers are created by forcing, usually through extrusion, fiber-forming materials through holes (called spinnerets) into the air and water forming a thread. Before synthetic fibers were developed, artificially manufactured fibers were made from cellulose, which comes from plants. These fibers are called cellulose fibers.
Man-made fiber – fiber whose chemical composition, structure, and properties are significantly modified during the manufacturing process.
First Man-Made and Synthetic Fibers
First man-made: rayon in 1910. A solution of cellulose.
First synthetic: Nylon in 1939.
Generic Name vs. Trademark
Generic – refers to a family of manufactured or synthetic fibers that have similar chemical composition, are based on fiber chemistry, and approved by the Federal Trade Commission.
Trade name – Companies’ names for fibers and may be used in promotion and marketing. Example: Tencel lyocell.
Thermoplasticity
Describes a fiber’s sensitivity to heat. Fibers that melt or glaze at relatively low temperatures.
Texturizing
Hand, or handle, is a general term for the characteristics perceived by the sense of touch when a fabric is held in the hand, such as drapability, softness, elasticity, coolness or warmth, stiffness, roughness, and resilience.
Texturing is the formation of crimp, loops, coils, or crinkles in filaments. Such changes in the physical form of a fiber affect the behavior and hand of fabrics made from them.
Creation of Synthetic and Man-Made Cellulosic Fibers
Synthetic fibers are created by “transformation of natural polymers” (also called regenerated cellulosics), those made from synthetic polymers and those made from inorganic materials (These include the fibers made of glass, metal, ceramics and carbon.) But by far the largest group of man-made synthetic fibers being produced today are made from synthetic polymers.
Man-made cellulosic fibers were developed and produced using polymers of natural origin, more precisely of cellulose which is a raw material available in large quantities in the vegetable world.
Triacetate vs. Acetate
Triacetate is significantly more heat resistant than cellulose acetate.
Unique Properties of Specific Fibers
Glass
Ingredients: Sand, limestone, additives. Skin irritant (breaks easily). Extruded into long filaments. Doesn’t burn, melts at 2400 degrees F. Thermal retentive.
Olefin
A manufactured fiber characterized by its light weight, high strength, and abrasion resistance. Olefin is also good at transporting moisture, creating a wicking action. End-uses include activewear apparel, rope, indoor-outdoor carpets, lawn furniture, and upholstery.
Spandex
A manufactured elastomeric fiber that can be repeatedly stretched over 500% without breaking, and will still recover to its original length. This fiber is widely used in the manufacturing of garments to create elasticity.
Metallic
Are manufactured fibers composed of metal, plastic-coated metal, or a core completely covered by metal. Gold and silver have been used since ancient times as yarns for fabric decoration. More recently, aluminum yarns, aluminized plastic yarns, and aluminized nylon yarns have replaced gold and silver. Metallic filaments can be coated with transparent films to minimize tarnishing.
Saran
It is a remarkable barrier against water, oxygen and aromas. It has superior chemical resistance to alkalies and acids, is insoluble in oil and organic solvents, has very low moisture regain and is impervious to mold, bacteria, and insects. But it is soluble in polar solvents.
Textile Terminology
- Fiber: the smallest component, hairlike in nature, that can be separated from a fabric.
- Yarn: an assemblage of fibers that form a continuous strand used in making fabrics.
- Fabric: flexible planar substance made from solutions, fibers, yarns, fabrics or any combination.
- Structure: a fabric in which the pattern or design is created as the fabric is created.
- Finish: any process done to fiber, yarn or fabric to change appearance, hand or performance.
- Color: the dyes or pigments that add color to textiles.
- Cellulose Fiber: fibers made from cellulose, a complex sugar.
- Protein Fiber: are produced by animals or insects and are made of complex natural chemical: keratin for wool and specialty wool and fibroin silk.
- Man-made: fiber created from natural materials or by chemical processes.
- Synthetic fiber: fiber, fibre – a slender and greatly elongated substance capable of being spun into yarn.
- Acrylic, acrylic fiber: polymerized from acrylonitrile.
- Nylon: a thermoplastic polyamide; a family of strong resilient synthetic fibers.
- Fiber Synthetic: second type of manufactured fibers. Fully man-made fibers (nylon, polyester, olefin, and acrylic).
- Fibers Staple: a natural fiber (raw cotton, wool, hemp, flax) that can be twisted to form yarn; “staple fibers vary widely in length.”
- Filament: A fine or thinly spun thread, fiber, or wire.
- Texturizing: the characteristic physical structure given to a material, an object, etc., by the size, shape, and arrangement of its parts: soil of a sandy texture.
- Thermoplastic: describes a fiber’s sensitivity to heat fibers that melt or glaze at relatively low temperatures.