INTRODUCTION TO TEXTILE FIBERS

By

B. VENKATESH
ASST. PROFESSOR
DEPT. OF TEXTILE TECHNOLOGY

VFSTR UNIVERSITY
Definition of Fiber and Textile fibers
Fiber:

 It is defined as one of the delicate, hair portions of the tissues of a plant or animal or
other substances that are very small in diameter in relation to there length.

 A fiber is a material which is several hundred times as long as its thick.

 Fibres have been defined by the Textile Institute as units of matter characterized by :

 flexibility,

 fineness

 high ratio of length to thickness.

 The characteristic dimensions of fibres are the basis of their use and
need to be stressed:

 individual fibres (or elements of a continuous filament) weigh only a few

micrograms
 their length/width ratio is at least 1000:1

 It is the basic structural element of textile products.

 It is a smallest textile component which is microscopic hair like

substance that may be manmade or natural.
Textile Fiber:
 Textile fiber has some characteristics which differ between fiber to Textile fiber.

 Textile fiber can be spun into a yarn or made into a fabric by various methods
including weaving, knitting, braiding, felting, and twisting.

 The essential requirements for fibers to be spun into yarn include a length of at least
5 millimeters, flexibility, cohesiveness, and sufficient strength.

 Other important properties include elasticity, fineness, uniformity, durability, and

luster.

 Banana fiber is one kind of fiber but it is not a textile fiber. Because it can not fill up
the above properties. So we can say that all fiber are not textile fiber.
 Ordinary textile fibres must be, at least partly, elastic up to breaking extensions between 5 and
50%.

 This is an unusual intermediate range of extensibility, since glasses and crystalline solids are less
extensible, whereas rubbers are much more extensible.

 all textile fibers are partially oriented, linear polymers.

 A remarkable fact is that almost all the general textile fibre market is met by six polymer types:

 the natural polymers,

 cellulose and proteins,

 the synthetic (manufactured) polymers, polyamide, polyester, polyolefin and vinyl

(including acrylic).
 Essential properties Textile Fibers
 Basic Textile Fiber Properties

 There are several primary properties necessary for a polymeric material to make
an adequate fiber.

 Certain other fiber properties increase its value and desirability in its intended
end-use but are not necessary properties essential to make a fiber. Such
secondary properties include :
 moisture absorption characteristics,
 fiber resiliency, abrasion resistance,
 density,
 luster,
 chemical resistance,
 Some Primary Properties of Textile Fibers are:

 thermal characteristics,
 flammability.
 Fiber length to width ratio,
 Fiber uniformity,
 Fiber strength and flexibility,
 Fiber extensibility and elasticity,
 Fiber cohesiveness.
 Length to Width Ratio: Fibrous material must possess adequate
staple or fiber length and the length must be considerably higher
(1000 times) then the width of the fiber.

Length to Width Ratio of Some Typical Fiber as follows:

Fiber Length to Width Ratio

Cotton 1400
Wool 8000
Flax 170
Silk 330000

 But to be a fiber the staple length must not be less than ½ inch.
According to the length, the fibers may be classified into the
following two categories: Staple Fiber, Filament Fiber
Strength:
 Strength of any material is determined by the breaking strength (that is tenacity
strength) which express as force per unit cross-sectional area.

 With this term (strength / tensile strength) we may describe the ability of a
bundle of fiber of yarn to resist breakage under tension / load.

 In case of describing the strength of individual fiber the term tenacity is usually
used.

 Tenacity :force per unit linear density

That is, tenacity = breaking load/ mass per unit length

Tenacity express as grams per tex(gtex) or grams per denier(gd).

 Tenacity of Some Common Fiber:

Fiber Grams Per Denier

Raw cotton 3.0 - 4.9
Jute 3.0 - 5.8
Flax 2.6 - 7.7
Ramie 5.5
Silk 2.4 - 5.1
Wool 1.1 - 1.7
Hemp 5.8 - 6.8
Flexibility:

 It is one of the essential property of textile fiber.

 The fibers should be sufficient by poliable, then only it can be wrapped around another
fiber during spinning.

 Many substance in nature resemble fibrous forms but they are note pratical fibers as
they are stiff and brittle.

Cohesiveness:

 It may also be termed as spinning quality of fiber.

 It is the property of an individual fiber by virtue of which the fibers are hold on to one
another when the fibers are spun into yarns.
Uniformity:
 It may describe the similarities in length of fiber which are spun into yarn.

 To make a good quality yarn, it is important that the fibers must be similar in length
and width in spinning quality and in flexibility .

 There is no problem in producing uniform manmade fibers but for natural fiber
uniformity is difficult to achieve.

 So for natural fiber it is essential to blend many batches in order to manufacture good
quality yarn and fabrics.
Elastic Recovery:

 Elastic recovery is the percent to return from elongation towards its original length.

 If a fiber returns to its original length from a specified amount of attenuation, it is said
to have 100% elastic recovery at x-percent elongation.

 Elastic recovery is expressed as percentage.

 The elasticity or elastic recovery of a fiber is determined by several aspects like what
type of load is applied and how many times it is held in the stretched position.
CLASSIFICATION OF FIBRES

 For many thousand years, the usage of fiber was limited by natural
fibers such as flax, cotton, silk, wool and plant fibres for different
applications.

 Fibers can be divided into natural fibres and man-made or chemical

fibres.

 Flax is considered to be the oldest and the most used natural fibre
since ancient times.
Classification of Fibres

 Natural Fibers
 Vegetable Fibres
 Animal Fibres
 Mineral fibers

 Man Made fibers

 Regenerated fibres

 Synthetic fibres

 Inorganic fibres

 Inorganic fibres
Cont…
 Classification of fibers can be done by:

 Type(Natural and manufactured)

 Length(Short staple, long staple, continuous filament)

 Size(Ultra fine, fine, regular, course)

Classification of Fibres
MAN MADE

 Regenerated Fibres

 Cellulosic– Cotton linters and wood pulp Viscose rayon, Cupra-

ammonium, Cellulose Acetate (secondary and triacetate), Polynosic,
High Wet Modulus (HWM)

 Protein– Casein fibre from milk Groundnut Fibre, Zein fibre Azlon
fibre from corn and
 Natural man made fibre

(A) Cellulosic fibres

 Cellulose is one of many polymers found in nature.

 Wood, paper, and cotton all contain cellulose. Cellulose is an excellent

fiber.

 Cellulose is made of repeat units of the monomer glucose.

 The three types of regenerated cellulosic fibres are rayon, acetate and
triacetate

 which are derived from the cell walls of short cotton fibres called linters.
 Paper for instance is almost pure cellulose
Cont…
B) Non Cellulosic Man made fibres:

Protein:

 Azlon Fibre from Soya and Corn Casein of Milk Ground nut

 From other Sources:

 Mineral: Glass, Ceramic and Graphite Metallic Fibres: By mining and

refining of metals like silver, gold, aluminum and steel.

 Rubber Fibres: Sap tapped from the rubber tree.

 Fibre forming polymer is either natural or synthetic)

RAYON
Rayon is a manufactured regenerated cellulosic fiber.

 it is the first man made fibre .

 it has a serrated round shape with smooth surface.

 it loses 30-50% of its strength when it is wet.

 Rayon is produced from naturally occurring polymers and

therefore it is not as cellulosic fiber.

 The fiber is sold as artificial silk

 there are two principal varieties of rayon namely viscose and

cupra ammonium rayon.
 ACETATE
 A manufactured fiber in which the fiber forming substance is cellulose

acetate.

 Acetate is derived from cellulose by reacting purified cellulose from wood

pulp with acetic acid and acetic anhydride in the presence of sulfuric acid.
Acetate Fiber Characteristics

 Luxurious feel and appearance

 Wide range of colors and lusters

 Excellent drapability and softness

 Relatively fast drying

 Shrink, moth and mildew resistant

 Special dyes have been developed for acetate since it does not accept dyes

ordinarily used for cotton and rayon.

Man made Synthetic Fibres

 Polyamides-Nylon 66, Nylon 610, Nylon 6 etc

 Polyester-Terylene, Terene, Dacron etc.

 Polyvinyl derivatives

 Polyvinylchloride

 Polyvinylchloride acetate

 Polyvinylchloride –Acrylonitrile
 Polyacrilonitrile

 Polyvinyl alcohol

 Polystyrene and Copolymers

 Polyvinylide Chloride and Copolymers

 Polyolefins

 Polyethylene

 Polypropylene
 MAN MADE SYNTHETIC FIBRE

 POLYESTER, NYLONARAMID, ACRYLICMODACRYLIC,

 SPANDEX, OLEFIN, VINYONSARAN, NYTRILTEFLON /

FLUOROCARBONALGINATE :

 Minor fibre made of a jelly like calcium alginate derived from

certain forms of sea weed used as scaffolding in such fabrics as

surgical dressings which can be ;Polyester, Nylon , Natural rubber .

 POLYESTER
 Polyester is a category of polymers which contain theester functional group
in their main c

 The term "polyester" is most commonly used to refer to polyethylene

terephthalate (PET).

 it has a high melting temperature

 it can be dyed with only disperse dyes

 they are thermoplastic, have good strength and are hydrophobic

 the fibre has a rod like shape with a smooth surface.

 it is lustrous and its hand is crisp.

 it has excellent resiliency and is the best wash and wear fabric.
NYLON
 Nylon is one of the most common polymers used as
A fiber.

 There are several forms of nylon depending up on

chemical synthesis such as nylon 4, 6, 6.6, 6.10,
6.12,8,10 and 11.

 Nylon is found in clothing all the time, but also in

other places, in the form of a thermoplastic material.
Cont…
 Nylons are also called polyamides, because of the
characteristic amide groups in the backbone chain.

 These amide groups are very polar and are linked

with each other with hydrogen bonds.

 nylon is a regular and symmetrical fibre with crystalline

regions and make fibers.

 the fibre has a smooth rod like shape with a smooth

surface
 Cont…
 Natural rubber is essentially a polymer of isoprene units, a
hydrocarbon dienemonomer.

 Synthetic rubber can be made as a polymer of prene or various

other monomers

 The material properties of natural rubber make it an elastomer .

 Rubber exhibits unique physical and chemical properties.

 Rubber's stress-strain behavior exhibits the Mullins effect, the

Payne effect and is often model her elastic.
Inorganic Fibres

 Glass– Silica sand, lime stone and other minerals

 Ceramic – Alumina, Silica and Graphite fibres –

Carbon

 Metallic fibres-Aluminium, silver, gold and stainless

steel
 GLASS FIBRE
 It is also known as Fiberglass that is a material made from
extremely fine fibers of glass. Glass fiber is formed when thin
silica-based or other formulation glass extruded into many fibers
with small textile processing

 it has a high degree of viscosity

 The basis of textile grade glass fibers issilica, SiO

 In its pure form it exists as a polymer

 In order to induce crystallization, it must be heated to te

cont
 The rest type of glass use for fiber was soda-lime
glass or A glass which

 By trapping air within them, blocks of glass

fiber make is used as a reinforcing agent for many
polymer products.

 it has a good thermal insulation, with at thermal

conductivity of 0.05 W/m
 Humidity is an important factor in the tensile adsorbed, and can

worsen microscopic crack defects, and lessen tenacity.

 It has no effect on exposure to sun light even after extended periods

 METALLIC FIBRES

 Metallic fibers are manufactured fibers composed of metal, plastic-coated

metal, metal-Gold and silver have been used since yarns for fabric decoration.

 More recently, aluminum yarns, aluminized nylon yarns have replaced glass.

 They are made through laminating process.

 Coated metallic filaments help to minimize tarnishing.

 When suitable adhesives and films are used, they are not affected by
salt water, chlorinated water in swimming pools or climatic conditions.

 If possible anything made with metallic fibers should be dry-cleaned.

 Ironing can be problematic because the heat from the iron, especially at
high temperatures, can melt the fibers.

 They are used mainly for decorative purpose.

Thank you