TEXTILE
SCIENCE
FUNDAMENTALS OF TEXTILE SCIENCE
INTRODUCTION
In textiles, the basic definition refers to
any fiber, yarn, or fabric composed of
natural or synthetic fibers that are
interlaced or otherwise formed to
create a material, such as cloth. The
term originally meant only woven
fabrics, but it has expanded to include
materials made from knitting, felting,
or other methods, serving diverse uses
from clothing and home furnishings to
technical and industrial applications.
FIBER
The basic unit of textiles.
A fiber must be at least 100 times longer than
its diameter.
Textile fiber can be spun into a yarn or made
into a fabric by various methods including
weaving, knitting, and braiding, felting, and
twisting.
Generally two types of textile fiber:
1. Natural fiber
2. Manmade fiber
Textile fibres are natural or synthetic structures
that can be spun into yarn and woven, knitted,
or bonded into fabric.
Classification based on their origin:
Classification based on their constituents
(composition):
NATURAL FIBER
The fibres which are obtained from the nature
are called natural fibres. They may present in
plants, animals, soil, rock etc. Examples are:
cotton, jute, silk, wool, coir etc.
a) Vegetable Fibres:
These fibres are obtained from different plants.
Fibres may present in different parts of the
plant.
For example: Cotton is obtained from seed of
the plant, jute is obtained from the stem (bast)
of a plant and coir is the outer covering of
coconut.
These are generally made up of cellulose. The
two vegetable fibres mainly used for garments
are cotton and flax (linen).
NATURAL FIBER
b) AnimalFibres:
These fibres are obtained from different animal
sources. We get wool from hair of sheep and
goat. Fibres can also be obtained from the hair
of rabbits and camels.
Another famous animal fibre is silk. It is made
by an insect called the silk worm.
The composition of animal fibres is protein.
COTTON
COIR
BANANA FIBER
PINEAPPLE FIBER
WOOL
SILK
MAN-MADE FIBRES
Man-made fibres are manufactured by man with the help of different chemicals. Man-made
fibres are generally filament fibres. Examples are nylon, polyester, viscose rayon and acrylic.
a) Synthetic fibres:
These are man-made fibres which are obtained by mixing different chemicals in different
amounts. Synthetic fibres are purely made by chemicals. These are in filament form.
Majorly used synthetic fibres are nylon, polyester and acrylic.
b) Re-generatedfibres
These are man-made fibres which are manufactured by chemical treatment of any natural
source like cotton and wood. Materials from natural source are first dissolved in suitable
chemicals and then filaments are made with this solution. Filaments can be cut in short
lengths.
Examples of re-generated fibres are viscose rayon, acetate and triacetate.
TEXTILE
PROPERTIES
Textile materials are capable of being
transformed into desired shapes without
resistance and durable over a reasonable
period of wear. They derive these
properties from fibers and yarns. The yarn,
in turn, is formed by twisting a bundle of
fibers together. It is therefore clear that the
properties of the ultimate textile structure
will depend very largely on the
characteristics of the fibers from which
they are made. These dimensional
characteristics of fibers form the basis of
their use as textile raw materials.
CLASSIFICATION OF
FIBER PROPERTIES:
To be designated as a textile fiber any material should satisfy
two important properties, namely:
Essential or Primary properties of textile fibers
Desirable or Secondary properties of textile fibers
Essential or Primary Desirable or Secondary
properties: properties:
High length to width ratio Physical shape
Tenacity Elastic recovery and
Flexibility elongation
Spinning quality Resiliency
(Cohesiveness) Flammability and other
Uniformity thermal reactions
Density
Luster
Color
Moisture regain
FIBER PROPERTIES CLASSIFICATION
In broadly, properties of textile fibers are classified in below ways:
Physical Properties
Chemical Properties
Mechanical Properties
Physical properties: Mechanical properties:
Strength (Tenacity) (P.S.I)
Length ——— Staple (15mm – 150 mm) Elasticity (Recovery percentage)
Tenacity / Specific Strength (g/den) Extensibility (Breaking Extension)
Fineness ———Length : Width = 1000:1 Rigidity (Stiffness)
Crimp
Cross Sectional Shape
Maturity Chemical properties:
Luster Solubility in aqueous and organic solvent. Useful properties of
Softness another hind desired in a textile fiber are indicated bellow.
Resiliency Behavior towards dyes.
Work of rupture Ability to moisture absorption
Density Resistance to deteriorating influence including; light, thermal
Appearance stability, resistance to bacteria, mildow moth and other
Flexibility destructive insect, corrosive chemicals.
Toughness
Elongation
Moisture Regain (MR%) and Moisture Content (MC%)
Specific Gravity (g/cc) textile fiber has also below properties:
Elastic Recovery (%) Electrical Properties: Electrostatic build‐up
Initial Young Modulus (g/den) Thermal Properties: Melt temperature, Tg, thermal
Breaking Length (km)
decomposition, flammability
Extension (%)
Swelling Biological Properties: Resistance to microorganisms,
Static Electrification biocompatibility, biodegradation
Discoloration Optical Properties: Reflection, refraction, luster, transparency
Specific Heat
Burning Behavior Surface Properties: Wetting, friction
Thermal Conductivity Structural Properties
Pilling Behavior Acoustic Properties
Limited Oxygen Demand (LOI %) Radiological Properties
Degradation
Environmental Properties
Torsional Properties
Frictional Properties