FIBRES

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 Generations of Fibres
1st Generation fibre 4000bc to 1940
Natural fibres
Cotton, Wool, Silk etc…

2nd Generation fibre 1940 to 1980

Synthetic fibres
Nylon, Polyester, Acrylic etc…

3rd Generation fibre 1985 to 1990 continue

Aramid, Polyethylene, Aromatic fibres

4th Generation fibre continues…

Inorganic fibres
Carbon, Ceramic, glass etc…

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 History of Manmade Fibres

1910 – Rayon 1941 – Saran 1959 – Spandex

1924 – Acetate 1946 – Metallic 1983 – Aramid

1930 – Rubber 1949 – Modacyclic 1984 – PBI

1936 – Glass 1949 – Olefin 1983 – Sulfar

1939 – Nylon 1950 – Acrylic 1992 – Lyocell

1939 – Vinyon 1953 – Polyester

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 Definition
It is a single hair like strand having the
following properties sufficient length,
pliability and strength.

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 Classification of Fibres
1. According to length.
The short ones are called staple fibres and the
long ones are called filament.
2. According to origin
The fibres obtain from natural sources (e.g.
plant, animal and mineral) are called natural
fibres. The other fibres are manmade fibres.
Manmade fibres are of two types regenerated
and synthetic

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 Natural Fibres
a) Vegetable
i) Seed – Cotton
ii) Stem – Jute, Flax
iii) Leaves – Pineapple
iv) Fruit – Coir COTTON

b) Animal
i) Wool
ii) Silk
c) Mineral SILK
i) Asbestos WOOL

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 Man made Fibres (Regenerated)
i) Vegetable
a) Viscose
b) Acetate
c) Polylactide (PLA)
ii) Animal
a) Chitin
iii) Mineral
a) Glass
b) Ceramic
c) Silicon
d) Boron
e) Carbon
f) Metallic

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 Man made Fibres (Synthetic)
i) Polyester
ii) Nylon
iii) Polypropylene
ACRYLIC
iv) Acrylic
v) Aramid
vi) Polyethylene
POLYESTER

NYLON

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 Constituent of Fibres
All fibres consist of polymer molecular
chains which are arranged inside a fibre in
a definite fashion.

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 Definition of Polymer
A combination or association of molecules
that may be one compound (which is
called a monomer) or two or more
compounds, reacting simultaneously or
consecutively to form a regular system of
molecule (usually of high molecular
weight) which behaves and reacts
primarily as one unit termed as polymer.

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 Requirements of Polymers for Fibre
Formation
1. Long chain molecules are required for fibre formation
which imparts sufficient strength to the fibres. If the
molecules are too short there will be loss of strength.
2. A more or less parallel arrangement of the molecules
is required.
3. Lateral forces are required to hold the molecules
together and give cohesion to the fibre structure.
4. Some measures of freedom of the molecular
movement in order to give the necessary extensibility
to the fibres and some open mesh to give room for
moisture absorption and dye uptake.

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 Properties of Textile Fibres
The properties of textile fibres can be
divided into two groups.
1. The Essential Properties
2. The Desirable Properties

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 Essential Properties of Fibres
The essential properties of the fibres are as follows:-
a) Length – The longer the fibre, the stronger the yarn. A fibre
having a length below a certain length cannot be spun
economically. (Unit- mm, cm, inch)
b) Strength – Weak fibres cannot produce a strong yarn. (Unit-
gm/tex, gm/denier)
c) Fineness – In a fibre, the ratio or relationship of length to width
or cross-sectional area is expressed as its fineness. (Unit- Tex,
Denier, decitex or micron, Micronaire)
d) Spinnability – Spinnability includes several physical properties
each having an effect on the ability of the fibres to be spun into
yarn.
i) Capable of taking twist.
ii) Must have certain amount of friction against one another to
stay in place when pull is applied to the yarn.
e) Uniformity – This means the evenness of the individual fibres in
length and diameter. A fibre possessing this property can
produce reasonably even yarn.

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 Desirable Properties of Fibres
The desirable properties of the fibres are as follows:-
a) Crimp – Crimp is the waviness of a fibre.
b) Elasticity – Elasticity is the property by which the fibre tends to
recover its original length upon removal of stress that caused
deformation.
c) Cohesion – Cohesion is the property of clinging or sticking
together in a mass usually the more rigid the fibre lower its
cohesion.
d) Density – Density is the mass or weight of the material per unit
volume. (Unit - g/cc)
e) Absorbency – The fibre that absorbs moisture are more
comfortable than those with low absorbency, especially in hot
humid weather when perspiration is removed rapidly by the
absorbent fibres.
f) Capillarity and Porosity – These two terms express properties
with the similar influence on the ability of a textile fibre or yarn
to accept and hold a dye or any other chemicals.
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 Identification of Textile Fibres
There are different types of tests to identify the textile
fibres. The different tests can be summarized as:
a) Non-Technical Tests (Do not require special
equipment or chemicals)
i) Feeling test
ii) Burning test
iii) Staining test
b) Technical Tests (Require special equipment or
chemicals)
i) Microscope test
ii) Density measurement
iii) Chemical test

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 Feeling Test
Different fibres show different behaviour, when you will place your
hand on them.

Cotton Cool in touch, feels soft and inelastic

Linen Cool in touch, feels smooth and leathery
Jute Cool in touch, feels smooth and leathery
Silk Warm to touch, feels elastic and smooth
Wool Warm to touch, feels elastic and springy
Rayon Cool to touch, feels smooth, inelastic and lustrous
Acetate Little warm to touch, feels smoother, more elastic
and resilent than rayon
Nylon Feels very smooth, light weight, elastic, lustrous
Polyester Feels very smooth and stiffer
Acrylic Feels like wool, but light weight and slippery feeling
Polypropylene Extremely light weight, resilient smooth and lustrous

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 Density Measurement
A rough estimation of density can also
identify the fibres. The chemicals taken for
density will be inert chemicals like
benzene, carbon tetrachloride, toluene
with known density. When the density of
the fibre is heavier than the density of the
chemical, the fibre will sink to the bottom.
On the other hand, when the density of the
fibre is lower than the density of the
chemical, it will float at the top.
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 Fibre Density (g/cc)

Cotton and other Cellulosic fibres 1.54

Acetate fibre 1.32
Silk 1.32
Wool 1.32
Nylon 1.14
Polyester 1.38
Acrylic 1.17

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 Chemical Test
The solubility of a fibre in a particular
chemical reagent is means of
identification. The fibre can be placed in a
chemical, at a particular temperature and
the solubility will confirm the type of fibre.

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 Chemical Fibres

1. Sodium hypochlorite Wool and silk

(5% chlorine, 25°C)
2. Cold 70% Sulphuric acid Silk
3. 75% Sulphuric acid (at 25°C) Cellulosics
4. Sodium Zincate (cotton insoluble) Viscose
5 Cold Acetone Acetate, Triacetate
6. Formic acid (at 25°C) Nylon6, Nylon66
7. Dimethyl Formide Cold Acrylic
8. Meta cresol, 95°C Polyester
9. Meta xylene (at boil) Polypropylene

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 THE END

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