Polymer Processing &
Applications
Course code: CEP451
Lecture topic: Processing of textile
fiber
Date: 24/06/2025
Textile Fiber
• Definition
Length is at least 100 times of its diameter
Natural fibers (e.g. Cotton, wools, flax 1000-3000 times of diameter;
Coarser fibers such as jute, ramie, and hemp 100-1000 times of
diameter)
Synthetic fibers ( e.g. Polyester, PE, PP, PET, Nylon, Acrylic, etc..
Usually made in any desired length to diameter ratio)
• Types of synthetic fiber:
• Continuous filament
• Staple (Made by cutting continuous filament into relatively short length)
Textile and fiber properties
• Denier
The weight of 900 m of fiber is called Denier. It is a measure of size of
the fiber.
• Tenacity
Tensile strength of the fiber per unit size number, such as denier, where size
number is expressed as a weight per unit length.
• Moisture content
Moisture content is a measurement of the amount of moisture present in
a textile fiber, it is also expressed as a percentage of the total weight of the
fiber. It represents the weight of the water present in the fiber divided by the
weight of the fiber when it is completely dry and multiplied by 100.
Textile and fiber properties
• Moisture regain
Moisture regain is the amount of moisture that a material or
product of textile fibers or yarn will absorb when exposed to a
specific level of humidity. It is calculated as a percentage of the dry
weight of the textile fiber. For example, if a textile fiber has a
moisture regain of 8%, it means that it will gain 8% of its dry
weight in moisture when exposed to the specific level of humidity
used for the measurement.
• Crimp
Crimp is the waviness of a fiber, a measure of the difference
between the lengthof the unstraightened and that of the
straightened fiber.
Tensile properties of textile
fibers
Source: [Link]
Preparation
Spinning
• Melt-spinning
• Dry spinning
• Wet spinning
Melt spinning
Process Flow Chart of Melt Spinning
Feeding (Polymer chips)
↓
Melting
↓
Metered extrusion
↓
Cooling and solidification by cold air
↓
Moisture conditioning
↓
Lubrication
↓
Yarn driving
↓
Packaging
Source: [Link]
Dry spinning
Process Flow Chart of Dry Spinning
Feed
↓
Metered extrusion
↓
Solidification by solvent
↓
Evaporation
↓
Lubrication
↓
Yarn driving
↓
Packaging
Source: [Link]
Wet spinning
Working Flow Chart of Wet Spinning
Process
At first solid polymer and the suitable solvent is
dissolved in a solution vessel.
↓
The solution is then heated in the heat exchanger.
↓
The solution is passed/extruded to spinneret which
immersed in a coagulation bath/spin bath by
pump.
↓
The polymer is chemically regenerated and it is
converted into the filament of solid form.
↓
Helena Felgueiras et al. PCM 2020, 2021 The filament is converged and wound on the
bobbin.
↓
The wended filament is then drawn and finally, it is
washed & dried and is also wound on a suitable
Fiber modification
Why ?
• To increase functionality
• Easy weaving/fabric production
• Hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity increase
• Increase in dyeability
Modification techniques
• Classic
• Scouring Check the definitions in the book:
• Lubricating Textbook of Polymer Science by Fred W.
Billmeyer, third edition, Willey, 2013
• Sizing
• Dyeing
• Physical modification
• Plasma treatment
• Alkali treatment
• Chemical modification
Modification techniques
Physical Modifications:
• Plasma Treatment: Air/argon ions etch fiber surfaces → ↑
adhesion for coatings. App: Denim finishing (replaces pumice
stonewashing) .
• Alkali Treatment (Mercerization): Not just cleaning!
Induces cellulose crystallization → 20% strength gain.
Chemical Modifications:
• Silane Coupling: e.g. Bonds R–(CH₂)ₙ–Si(OR')₃ to fibers →
waterproof fabrics.
• Graft Copolymerization: e.g. Attach maleic anhydride to
polypropylene → ↑ dye affinity.
References
• Textbook of Polymer Science by Fred W. Billmeyer, third
edition, Willey, 2013
• [Link]
• [Link]
• [Link]
moisture-content/