SYNTHETIC FIBERS

& MANUFACTURING

CHEMISTRY PROJECT

DHIRAJ SANJAY
CHALSE

XII B

Roll no. 19
 CONTENTS

Introduction

Early Experiments

Manufacturing

Commercial Use

Advantages

Synthetic Industry
 Introduction

Synthetic fibers are fibers made by humans

with chemical synthesis, as opposed
to natural fibers that humans get
from living organisms with little or no
chemical changes .In general, synthetic
fibers are created by extruding fiber-
forming materials through spinnerets into air
and water, forming a thread. These fibers
are called synthetic or artificial fibers. Some
fibers are manufactured from plant
derived cellulose and are thus semi
synthetic, whereas others are totally
synthetic, being made from crudes and
intermediates
including petroleum, coal, limestone and
water. Modified fibers with functional
properties, such as antibacterial fibers, UV-
protection fibers, flame-retardant (FR)
fibers, anti statistic fibers, and far infrared
fibers are produced.
 Early Experiments

Joseph Swan invented the first artificial

artificial fiber
in the early 1880s,
1880s today it would be called
semi synthetic in precise usage. His fiber
was drawn from a cellulose liquid, formed
by chemically modifying the fiber
contained in tree bark. The
synthetic fiber produced
through this process was
wa
chemically similar in its
potential applications to
the carbon filament Swan
had developed for
his incandescent light bulb,
bulb, but Swan soon
realized the potential of the fiber to
revolutionize textile manufacturing.
manufacturing. In 1885,
he unveiled fabrics he had manufactured
manufactured
from his synthetic material
 Manufacturing

Most synthetic and cellulosic manufactured

fibers are created by “extrusion” — forcing
a thick, viscouss liquid through the tiny holes
of a device
called a
spinneret to
form
continuous
filaments of
semi-solid
polymer.

In their initial state, the fiber-forming

polymers are solids and therefore must be
first converted into a fluid state for extrusion.
they cannot be dissolved or melted
directly, they must be chemically treated to
form soluble or thermoplastic derivatives
Spinneret:

A spinneret is a device used to extrude a

polymer solution or polymer melt to form
fibers. The liquid feeding them must be
carefully filtered and, in some cases, the
spinneret must be made from very
expensive, corrosion-resistant
corrosion metals.
Maintenance is also critical, and spinnerets
must be removed and cleaned on a
regular basis to prevent clogging.
Production Process of Different Synthetic
Fibers:

As the filaments emerge from the holes in

the spinneret, the liquid polymer is
converted first to a rubbery state and then
solidified. This process of extrusion and
solidification of endless filaments is called
spinning, not to be confused with the textile
operation of the same name, where short
pieces of staple fiber are twisted into yarn.
There are four methods of spinning
filaments of manufactured fibers: wet, dry,
and gel spinning.

Wet spinning:

Wet spinning is the oldest process. It is used

for polymers that need to be dissolved in a
solvent frist.. The spinnerets are submerged
in a chemical bath and as the filaments
emerge they precipitate from solution and
solidify.

Because the solution is extruded directly

into the precipitating liquid, this process for
making fibers is called wet spinning. Acrylic,
rayon, aramid, modacrylic and spandex
can be produced by this process.
Dry spinning:

In dry spinning the polymer is dissolved in its

solvent and then extruded, as the fiber
emerge through
the spinneret the
solvent is
evaporated off
with hot air, in
most cases this is
then collected
and re-used. Dry
spinning is also
used for fiber-
forming
substances in
solution. Dry spinning technique is used for
such kind of Polymers which won't melt but
degrade on heating.
The filaments do not come in contact with
a precipitating liquid, eliminating the need
for drying and easing solvent recovery. This
process may be used for the production of
acetate, triacetate, acrylic, modacrylic,
PBI, spandex, and vinyon.

Melt spinning:

In melt spinning, the fiber-forming

substance is melted for extrusion through
the spinneret and then rapid cooling of
liquids. Nylon, olefin, polyester, saran and
sulfar are produced in this manner.

Melt spun fibers can be extruded from the

spinneret in different cross-sectional shapes
(round, trilobal, pentagonal, octagonal,
and others). Trilobal-shaped fibers reflect
more light and give an attractive sparkle to
textiles.
Gel spinning:

Gel spinning, also known as dry-wet

spinning, is used to obtain high strength or
other special properties in the fibers. It is an
old technique that has come into use
commercially only since the 1980s. It is a
special process used to obtain high
strength or other special fiber properties.
The polymer is not in a true liquid state
during extrusion. Not completely separated,
as they would be in a true solution, the
polymer chains are bound together at
various points in liquid crystal form. This
produces strong inter-chain forces in the
resulting filaments that can significantly
increase the tensile strength of the fibers. In
addition, the liquid crystals are aligned
along the fiber axis by the shear forces
during extrusion.
 Commercial Use

The first successful process was

developed in 1894 by English
E
chemist Charles Frederick Cross, and his
collaborators
Edward John
Bevan and
Clayton Beadle.
The first
commercial
viscose rayon was
produced by the
UK company
Courtaulds Fibers
in 1905. The name "rayon" was adopted
in 1924, with "viscose" being used
used for the
viscous organic liquid used to make
both rayon and cellophane.
Nylon, thehe first synthetic fiber was made by
an American researcher at the chemical
firm DuPont in the 1930s. It soon made its
debut in the United States as a
replacement for silk,, just in time for the
introduction of rationing during World War
II. Its novel use as a material for
women's stockings overshadowed more
practical uses, such as a replacement for
the silk in parachutes and other military uses
 Advantages

Synthetic fibers are more durable than most

natural fibers and will readily pick-up
different dyes. In addition, many synthetic
fibers offer consumer-friendly functions such
as stretching. Sunlight, moisture, and oils
from human skin cause all fibers to break
down and wear away. Natural fibers are
susceptible to larval insect infestation;
synthetic fibers are not a good food source
for fabric-damaging insects. Compared to
natural fibers, many synthetic fibers are
more water resistant and stain resistant.
 Synthetic Industry

India synthetic fiber industry is the new

addendum to the ever-growing Indian
Textile Industry. Unlike the other sectors of
Indian Textile Industry, the India synthetic
fiber industry is an organized sector. This
industry accounts for about 2.09 billion kg
i.e. 44%, of man-made fiber or yarn industry.
Industrial output of India synthetic fiber
industry during 2004-05 amounted to 774.65
million kg. The product of this industry
includes polyester staple fiber, acrylic
staple fiber and polypropylene staple fiber.
The import of India synthetic fiber industry
showed a mixed trend over the last five
years and its import doubled to 143.54
million kg during 2004-05. Further, the export
of India synthetic fiber industry had grown
by 50% during the same period.
The main products of the Indian synthetic
fiber industry are as follows -
Webbing for Soft luggage
seat belts material
Sanitary Napkins Poly-olefin
Health care Woven sacks
disposables Sports footwear
(caps, masks,
gowns)