CLASSIFICATION OF FIBRES - TEXTILE LIBRARY

CLASSIFICATION OF FIBRES

The history of fibres is as old ashuman civilization. Traces ofnatural fibres have been locatedto ancient civilizations all overthe gobe. For many thousandyears, the usage of fiber waslimited by natural fibres such asflax, cotton, silk, wool and plantfibres for different applications.Fibers can be divided intonatural fibres and man-made orchemical fibres. Flax isconsidered to be the oldest andthe most used natural fibresince ancient times2

“fiber” or “textile fiber” A unit of matter which is capable of being spuninto a yarn or made into a fabric by bonding or byinterlacing in a variety of methods includingweaving, knitting, braiding, felting, twisting, orwebbing, and which is the basic structural elementof textile products. It is a smallest textile component which ismicroscopic hair like substance that may be manmade or natural. They have length at least hundred times to that oftheir diameter or width3

For the standardisation,classification and easieridentification of fibres, FederalTrade Commission (FTC) assignedgeneric groups of manufacturedfibres according to their chemicalcomposition like Poly ester, PolyAmide. Acetate etc.

Classification of Fibres Natural Fibers Vegetable Fibres Animal Fibres Mineral fibers Man Made fibers Regenerated fibres Synthetic fibres Inorganic fibres

Classification of fibers can be done by:Type (Natural and manufactured)Length (Short staple, long staple,continuous filament)Size (Ultra fine, fine, regular, course)

NATURAL FIBRE Any hair like raw material directly obtainable from an animal,vegetable or mineral source that canbe convertible after spinning intoyarns and then into fabric.Under them there are variouscategories:(1) plant(2) animal(3) minerals8

Vegetable fibersthey can be further onclassified as:(a) fibre occurring on the seed(raw cotton , java cotton)(b) phloem fiber (flax, ramie ,hemp, jute)(c) tendon fibre from stem orleaves (manila hemp, sisalhemp etc)(d) fibre occurring around thetrunk (hemp palm)(e) fibre of fruit/ nut shells(coconut fibre – Coir)cotton and linen are the mostimportant among them.9

Vegetable fibres Bast fibres Low Lignin content – Linen or Flax (raw andbleached) and Ramie High Lignin content – Jute, Hemp

(1)Cotton Cotton is a soft fibre that growsaround the seeds of the cottonplant .cotton fibre grows in theseed pod or boll of the cottonplant . each fibre is a singleelongated cell that is flattwisted and ribbon like with awide inner hollow (lumen). Composition 90% cellulose,6% moisture andthe remainder fats andimpurities. the outer surface is coveredwith a protective wax likecoating which gives fibre an11

PROPERTIESIt has 8% moisture regain The cellulose is arranged in a waythat gives cotton unique properties ofstrength, durability, and absorbency. it is fresh , crisp , comfortable ,absorbent , flexible, has no pillingproblems and has good resistance toalkalis. it has poor wrinkle resistance,shrinkage, poor acid resistance , lessabrasion resistance , susceptible todamage by moths and mildew, needslots of maintenance and stains aredifficult to remove. its fibre length ranges from ½ inchesto 2inches it has 10%increase in strength whenwet. it has a flat twisted tube shape

KAPOK FIBRE Kapok fiber is a silky cotton-like substance that surrounds the seeds inthe pods of the ceiba tree.PropertiesIt can support as much as 30times its own weight in water andloses only 10 percent ofbuoyancy over a 30-day period.It is eight times lighter thancottonit is extremely used as a thermalinsulator.it is also lightweight, non-allergic,non-toxic, resistant to rot andodorless.since it is inelastic and too fragile, itcan't be spun.it has outstanding characteristics oflightness, impermeability, thermalisolation and eco- naturality.13

BAST FIBRE Bast fibre (fiber) or skin fibre is fibre collected from the Phloem (thebastsurrounding the stem of a certain mplantPropertiesThe bast fibres have often highertensile strength than other kinds, and arropes, yarn, paper, composites andburlap.A special property of bast fibers arethat the fiber at that point representsa weak point.They are obtained by the processcalled retting14

JUTE FIBREJute is one of the cheapest natural fibresand is second only tocotton in amount produced and varietyfibresare composed primarily of the plant mcellulose and lignin .Properties Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetablefibrethat can be spun into coarse, strong th It is thus a ligno -cellulosic fibre thatis partially a textile fibre and partiallywood. The plant grows up to a height of2.5m and its fibre length is about 2m. it is generally used in geo textiles. it has a good resistance to microorganisms and insects. it has low wet strength, lowelongation and inexpensive to15

RAMIE FIBRERamie is one of the oldestfibre crops, having been used forProperties Ramie requires chemicalprocessing to de-gum thefibre. it is fine absorbent ,quickdrying fibre, is slightly stiffand possesses high naturallustre. its plant height is 2.5m and itsstrength is eight times morethan cotton.16

HEMP FIBREDepending on the processing used to removethe fiber from the stem, the hemp naturally maybe creamy white, brown, gray, black or green.Properties it is yellowish brown fibre Hemp fibers can be 3 to 15 feet long, runningthe length of the plant. Characteristics of hemp fibre are its superiorstrength and durability, resistance to ultravioletlight and mold, comfort and good absorbancy17

COIR FIBRE Fibre mechanically extractedfrom dry mature coconut huskafter soaking. It is long, hard and strong fibrebut with lower softness, lowerwater absorption capacity, andshorter life than long rettedfibre.18

ANIMAL FIBRES Animal fibers arenatural fibers that consist largely of proteins such assilk, hair/fur, wool and feathers. The most commonly used type of animal fiber is hair.They can be classified further asHair Fibres (Staple)Secretion Fibres(Filament)WoolSilkSpeciality hair fibresSpider Silk(Insect fibre)19

SILK FIBRE silk is a natural fiber that can bewoven intotextiles. It is obtained from thecocoon of the silkwormlarva, in the process known as sericulturepropertiesit’s a fine continuous strand unwoundfrom the cocoon of a moth caterpillarknown as the silkworm.it is the longest and thinnest naturalfilament fibre with the longest filamentaround 3000yards.it is relatively lustrous ,smooth, lightweight, strong and elastic.it is essentially composed of protein fibreand is naturally a white coloured fiber.20

Types of silk Domestic silkMulberry silk : This is a white toyellow colored silk. It is fine and isused mainly for apparel. Wild silkMuga silk : This is a golden yellowcoloured silk .It is obtained from thesemi-domesticated silkworm ,whichfeeds on the aromatic leaves of Somand Soalu plants. Eri silk : This is got from thedomesticated silkworm. It feedsmainly on castor leaves. Tussar silk : Tussar Silk, also knownas Kosa Silk, is valued for its purityand texture. Kosa Silk is drawn fromcocoons especially grown on Arjun,

WOOL Wool is the fiber derived from thefur of animals principally spropertiesit has the highest moistureregain i.e., 14%.it exhibits felting propertyand is easy to spindue to crimp present in it, ithas heat in stored withinthe length of the fibre isaround 3-15 inches.

there are two types of woolnamely clipped or fleecewool taken from live sheepand pulled wool removedfrom sheep already dead. merino wool is the bestgrade of wool. In addition toclothing, wool has been usedcarpeting, felt,wool insulation and upholste

MINERAL FIBRE Asbestos is the only natural mineral fibre obtained fromvarieties of rocks.propertiesIt is fibrous form of silicate ofmagnesium and calciumcontaining iron andaluminium and otherminerals.It is acid proof, flame proofand rust proof.Its particles are carcinogenicand hence its use isrestricted.

MAN MADERegenerated Fibres Cellulosic – Cotton linters and woodpulpViscose rayon, Cupra-ammonium,Cellulose Acetate (secondary andtriacetate), Polynosic, High WetModulus (HWM) Protein – Casein fibre from milkGroundnut Fibre,Zein fibreAzlon 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 containcellulose. Cellulose is an excellent fiber.Cellulose is made of repeat units of themonomer glucose.The three types of regenerated cellulosicfibres are rayon, acetate and triacetatewhich are derived from the cell walls ofshort cotton fibres called linters.Paper for instance is almost pure cellulose

(B) Non Cellulosic Man made fibres:Protein:Azlon Fibre from Soya and CornCasein of MilkGround nutFrom other Sources:Mineral: Glass, Ceramic and GraphiteMetallic Fibres: By mining and refining of metals likesilver, gold, aluminum and steel.Rubber Fibres: Sap tapped from the rubber tree.( Fibre forming polymer iseither natural or synthetic)

RAYON Rayon is a manufacturedregenerated cellulosic fiber.it is the first man made fibre .it has a serrated round shape withsmooth surface.it loses 30-50% of its strengthwhen it is wet.Rayon is produced from naturallyoccurringpolymers and therefore it is not a synthcellulosic fiber.The fiber is sold as artificial silkthere are two principal varieties ofrayon namely viscose and cupraammonium rayon.

ACETATE A manufactured fiber in which thefiber forming substance iscellulose acetate. Acetate is derived from cellulose byreacting purified cellulose from woodpulp with acetic acid and aceticanhydride in the presence of sulfuricacid.The 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 foracetate since it does not accept dyesordinarily 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 FIBREPOLYESTER, NYLONARAMID, ACRYLICMODACRYLIC, SPANDEXOLEFIN, VINYONSARAN, NYTRILTEFLON / FLUOROCARBONALGINATE :Minor fibre made of a jellylikecalcium alginate derivedfromcertain forms of sea weedused asscaffolding in such fabricsassurgical dressings which canbe

POLYESTER Polyester is a category of polymers which contain theesterfunctional group in their main chaThe term "polyester" is mostcommonly used to refer topolyethylene terephthalate (PET).it has a high melting temperatureit can be dyed with only dispersedyesthey are thermoplastic, have goodstrength and are hydrophobicthe fibre has a rod like shape witha smooth surface.it is lustrous and its hand is crisp.it has excellent resiliency and isthe best wash and wear fabric.there are problems of static and

NYLON Nylon is one of the mostcommon polymers used asa fiber. There are several forms ofnylon depending uponchemical synthesis such asnylon 4, 6, 6.6, 6.10, 6.12,8,10 and 11. Nylon is found in clothingall the time, but also inother places, in the form ofa thermoplastic material.

Nylons are also calledpolyamides, because of thecharacteristic amide groupsin the backbone chain. These amide groups are verypolar and are linked witheach other with hydrogenbonds. nylon is a regular andsymmetrical fibre withcrystalline regions and make vefibers. the fibre has a smooth rodlike shape with a smoothsurface

RUBBER FIBRE Rubber is an elastichydrocarbonpolymer that naturally occurscolloidal suspension, orlatex, in the sap of some plant The manufacturing processconsists of extruding thenatural rubber latex into acoagulating bath to formfilament.the material is crosslinked to obtain fibres whichexhibit high stretch It can be synthesized.