Textile Fibers: Properties, Finishes, and Classifications

Posted on Sep 14, 2024 in Design and Engineering

Textile Fiber Finishes and Quality

Cotton Finishes

Mercerization

This treatment uses sodium hydroxide to enhance cotton’s absorbency, luster, and strength.

Cotton Quality

  • High Quality: Combed (short fibers removed)
  • Lower Quality: Not combed

Linen Finishes

Beetling

This process involves flattening yarns to create a smoother, tighter fabric with enhanced sheen.

Linen Quality

  • High Quality: “Line” – Long, combed fibers
  • Low Quality: “Tow” – Short flax fibers. Tow fibers require carding before dry spinning into yarns for heavier fabrics used in interior textiles.

Silk Finishes

Weighting

Silk is treated with metallic salts to increase its weight, drape, and dye affinity. However, this may lead to faster degradation, resulting in a “shattered silk” appearance.

Silk Quality

  • High Quality: Reeled – Filament length (smooth, lustrous)
  • Less Quality: Spun – Staple length (more cotton-like and less lustrous)

Wool Finishes

Carbonizing

An acid treatment removes cellulosic material, preparing the wool for dyeing and enhancing its moth resistance.

Wool Quality

  • High Quality: Worsted Yarn – Smooth, straight, and uniform. Wool or wool-like yarn processed to remove short fibers and align remaining fibers.
  • Low Quality: Woolen Yarn – Softer, loosely twisted yarn with shorter, less uniform, and less parallel fibers.

Textile Basics

What is the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act (TFPIA)?

The TFPIA mandates that every garment sold in the US must have a tag disclosing its fiber content in descending order.

Fiber Classifications

  • Natural: Derived from plants (cellulose) or animals (protein)
  • Man-Made:
    • Regenerated Cellulose: Derived from natural cellulose
    • Synthetic: Produced from synthetic polymers

Five Components of Textiles

  1. Fiber
  2. Yarn
  3. Structure
  4. Finish
  5. Coloring

Fiber Properties and Their Impact

Fiber properties are physical characteristics that influence a fabric’s performance and suitability for various applications. Here are ten key properties:

1. Aesthetic Properties

These properties engage our senses, influencing how a fabric looks and feels. Examples include:

  • Luster
  • Drape
  • Texture
  • Hand (how it feels to the touch)

2. Comfort Properties

These properties determine how pleasant a fabric is to wear. Key comfort properties include:

  • Absorbency
  • Thermal Retention
  • Heat Conductivity (Breathability)

3. Appearance-Retention Properties

These properties influence a fabric’s ability to maintain its shape and appearance over time. Important properties in this category include:

  • Resiliency
  • Dimensional Stability
  • Elasticity (Elastic Recovery)
  • Mildew Resistance
  • Moth Resistance

4. Durability

Durability encompasses a fabric’s ability to withstand wear and tear. Key aspects of durability include:

  • Pilling: The formation of small balls of fiber on the fabric surface.
  • Strength/Tenacity: The ability to resist tearing or breaking under stress.
  • Abrasion Resistance: The ability to withstand rubbing or friction.

5. Care Properties

Care properties dictate how a fabric should be cleaned and maintained. Factors to consider include:

  • Reaction to water and heat
  • Chemical sensitivity (e.g., bleach resistance)

6. Cost

The cost of fiber production is influenced by factors such as raw material availability, manufacturing processes, and demand.

7. Heat Sensitivity

This property describes how a fiber reacts to heat, including its tendency to shrink, soften, or melt.

Major Natural Fibers: Properties, Advantages, and Disadvantages

Cotton

  • Properties: Absorbent, breathable, soft, strong (especially when wet), inexpensive
  • Advantages: Comfortable, easy care, versatile
  • Disadvantages: Prone to wrinkling, mildew, and shrinkage; poor heat retention
  • Common Fabrics: Broadcloth, denim, khaki, flannel, muslin

Linen

  • Properties: Strong, durable, lustrous, breathable
  • Advantages: Crisp hand, luxurious appearance, good for warm weather
  • Disadvantages: Prone to wrinkling, poor elasticity, can be expensive
  • Common Fabrics: Tablecloths, napkins, summer clothing

Silk

  • Properties: Smooth, lustrous, strong, absorbent, good thermal retention
  • Advantages: Luxurious drape, comfortable in both warm and cool weather
  • Disadvantages: Delicate, requires careful laundering, expensive
  • Common Fabrics: Chiffon, satin, charmeuse

Wool

  • Properties: Resilient, elastic, absorbent, excellent heat retention, naturally wrinkle-resistant
  • Advantages: Warm, comfortable, naturally flame-resistant
  • Disadvantages: Can be itchy, requires special care, susceptible to moths
  • Common Fabrics: Tweed, flannel, cashmere, merino wool

Unique Characteristics of Natural Fibers

  • Cotton: Nature’s “comfort” fiber – soft, breathable, and easy care.
  • Linen: Nature’s “strongest” fiber – known for its strength and crisp hand.
  • Wool: Nature’s “living” fiber – its unique scales contribute to its warmth, moisture resistance, and felting properties.
  • Silk: Nature’s “luxury” fiber – the only natural filament fiber, prized for its luster and drape.

Man-Made Fibers

Man-Made vs. Synthetic Fibers

Man-made fibers are created from natural polymers, such as cellulose. Synthetic fibers are synthesized from chemical compounds.

First Man-Made and Synthetic Fibers

  • First Man-Made: Rayon (1910), made from cellulose
  • First Synthetic: Nylon (1939), made from synthetic polymers

Generic Name vs. Tradename

  • Generic Name: Refers to a family of fibers with similar chemical compositions (e.g., polyester).
  • Tradename: A company’s specific brand name for a fiber (e.g., Dacron is a tradename for polyester).

Thermoplastic Fibers

Thermoplastic fibers soften, melt, or glaze at relatively low temperatures. This property is utilized in various textile processes, such as heat-setting fabrics.

Texturizing

Texturizing introduces crimp, loops, or coils into filaments to enhance a fabric’s texture, bulk, and stretch. Examples include:

  • Air-jet texturing
  • False-twist texturing

Unique Properties of Specific Fibers

  • Glass: Heat-resistant, non-flammable, but can be brittle.
  • Olefin: Lightweight, strong, abrasion-resistant, and moisture-wicking.
  • Saran: Excellent barrier properties, resistant to water, oxygen, and chemicals.
  • Spandex: Highly elastic, providing stretch and recovery.
  • Metallic: Decorative, often used for embellishment or to add a metallic sheen.

Fiber Processing

Natural Fiber Processing

  • Cotton: Harvesting, ginning (seed removal), baling, spinning into yarn.
  • Linen: Harvesting, retting (rotting to loosen fibers), scutching (fiber separation), hackling (combing), spinning.
  • Wool: Shearing, cleaning, carding (aligning fibers), spinning.
  • Silk: Cultivating silkworms, unwinding cocoons, reeling filaments, throwing (twisting for strength).

Man-Made Fiber Processing

  • Cellulosic Fibers (e.g., rayon, acetate): Cellulose is extracted from wood pulp, chemically treated, and extruded through spinnerets to form fibers.
  • Synthetic Fibers (e.g., polyester, nylon): Chemicals are polymerized to create a viscous solution, which is then extruded through spinnerets and solidified into fibers.

Additional Fiber Terminology

  • Bast Fiber: Fiber obtained from the stem of a plant (e.g., linen, hemp, ramie).
  • Seed Fiber: Fiber obtained from the seed pod of a plant (e.g., cotton).
  • Staple Fiber: Short fibers, typically natural fibers like cotton or wool.
  • Filament Fiber: Long, continuous fibers, either natural (silk) or manufactured.