Fibre:
Fibre is a type of material having continuous filaments and somewhat similar to lengths
of thread. They can either be spun or twisted into yarns or can also be directly
compressed into fabric.The textile, home furnishing industry makes used of many
different types of fibres as its raw materials. There are a number of factors influencing
the development and utilization of all different fibres. These include:
• Ability to be spun.
• Availability in sufficient quantity.
• Economy of production.
• Properties desired for manufacturing a particular product.
• Kinds of Fibre.
Fibres can be classified into:
• Natural Fibre
These fibres can be sourced from plants, animals and minerals.
Types of natural fibres:
Vegetable Fibres - Animal Fibres - Mineral Fibres
• Man Made Fibre:
These fibres include cellulosic and non cellulosic polymer fibres. The fibres can also be
sourced from mineral fibres, metallic fibres and rubber fibres.
Cotton Fibre
Cotton is a natural fibre, growing in the seed pod, or
boll of the cotton plant. The rest consists of natural
impurities.
Cotton has been cultivated for more than 5000 years.
It has traditionally been used for textile purposes.
Different types of cotton with distinctive properties
have been used for industrial applications and home
furnishings.
Properties of cotton fibre:Strength:
1.It is relatively strong.2.Strength of fibre can be
defined by the structure also plays role in
absorbency.Looser structure will be more absorbent t
han tighter one.
Applications:
Cotton is used to make fabrics that are universally
used for all types of :
• Apparel
• Home Furnishings
• Industrial Applications
Bast fiber or skin fiber:
These fibers are collected from the skin or bast surrounding the stem of the plant
source. They have higher tensile strength than other fibers. Therefore, these fibers are
used for durable yarn, fabric, packaging, and paper. Some examples are flax, jute,
kenaf, industrial hemp, ramie, rattan, soybean fiber, and even vine fibers
and banana fibers.
Plants that have been used for bast fibre include flax (from which linen is
made), hemp, jute, kenaf, kudzu, linden, milkweed, nettle, okra, paper mulberry, ramie,
and roselle hemp.
Bast fibres are processed for use in carpet, yarn, rope, geotextile (netting or matting),
traditional carpets, hessian or burlap, paper, sacks, etc. Bast fibres are also used in
the non-woven, moulding, and composite technology industries for the manufacturing
of non-woven mats and carpets, composite boards as furniture materials, automobile
door panels and headliners, etc
Flax plant
Linen is one of the oldest and a very popularly used fibre obtained from the stalk of the
flax plant. The hair like fibres, are held together by a gummy substance known as
pectin. Linen is popularly used as a generic term to describe bed, bath, table and
kitchen textiles and furnishings as it was traditionally used for towels, sheets, etc.It is
one of the most prestigious and expensive fibre, grown in small quantities, in various
pats of the world.
Physical Characteristics:
The fibre is smooth, straight and lustrous. It is more brittle and less flexible than
cotton. The fibre is alsomore difficult to spin into yarn. It has a long staple fibre length
when compared to cotton.
Applications:
Linen is one of the widely used fibre used in :
• Apparels
• Home furnishings
• Commercial furnishing
• Upholstery
• Industrial application
Jute Fibre
Known as the raw material for sacks all over the world. Jute is truly one of the most
versatilefibres gifted to man by nature that finds various uses in theform of
Handicrafts. Next to cotton, jute is the cheapest andmost important of all textile fibres.
Jute cultivation provideswork for millions of farmers, landless laborers,
industrialworkers and provides jobs for many others, indirectly.
Usage:
The uses of jute are manifold although the traditional use remains in packing
as sacking, hessianand carpet backing. These light weight yarns are to be used in
value added textile applicationslike upholstery, furnishing, garments and bags etc,
are just a few examples.
Jute is used chiefly to make cloth for wrapping bales of raw cotton, and to make gunny
sacks andgunny cloth.
The fibres are also woven into curtains, chair coverings, carpets, and burlap.
However, jute is being replaced by synthetic materials for these uses. Very fine threads
of juteare made into imitation silk. The fibres are used alone or blended with
other types of fibres tomake twine and rope.
Hemp Fibre
Hemp is a tall woody plant with natural wood fibres found in all the tropical and
temperate countries of the world. The plant has nearly thirty varieties, all resembling
one another in physical appearance and. Hempresembles flax and is often mistaken for
linen. Thefibre cannot be bleached easily without causingdamage to the fibre. China,
North Korea, Hungary, Romania, Poland, France and Italy are some of the
importantcountries growing hemp.
Applications:
• Hemps is widely used in the home furnishing industry for manufacturing rugs and
carpets. It isalso used for housing purpose and food.
Sisal Fibre
Sisal is another natural fibre obtained from the leaves of a plant. It is naturally found in
Africa,Central America and Florida. Sisal, also known as sisal hemp is a plant that yields
a stiff fibreand is mostly used for making rope. It is the most produced natural fibre
after cotton.
Physical Characteristics:
The fibre is smooth and straight and light yellow in color. It is fairly coarse & it is
extensivelyused because of its strength, durability, ability to stretch, affinity for certain
dyestuffs, &resistance to deterioration in saltwater.
Major Countries:
China, Tanzania, Madagascar, Kenya are
some of thesignificant producers of high
quality sisal, used indifferent applications.
Applications:
Sisal is used for making a number of products
including :
• Rope
• Twine
• Upholstering
• Mattress ,Carpets
Kapok Fibre
Kapok is natural vegetable based fibre obtained from
the seed capsules of trees grown in Java,Sumatra, and
Central America. The fibre is also known as silk cotton
because of its natural luster similar to that of pure
silk.Kapok looks similar to cotton but can be easily
distinguished from it when tested under a microscope.
The fibre appears like a hollow tube with very thin walls
and folds.
Applications:
Kapok has a smooth texture, but because of being
weak, it is not spun into yarn. The fibre is mostly used
for manufacturing mattress, cushions, upholstered
furniture, pillows, life jackets etc.The fibre is also used
for sound proofing and insulation.
Ramie Fibre
Ramie is a natural fibre having a woody appearance that resembles flax. The natural
fibre ishardly used for textiles. Various processes including extraction and cleaning are
expensive, asthey involve several steps.
Physical Characteristics:
Ramie is a stiff fibre, more brittle than linen and very lustrous. The fibre can be
bleached toextreme whiteness. The fibre is however unprofitable to general use
because the retting operationis difficult and costly. The fibre has permanent luster and
good affinity for dyes. It is one of thestrongest natural fibres and has greater strength
when wet.
Apparels:
Ramie is used as a filling yarn in mixed woolen fabrics, it is also used withsilk fibers and
a substitute for flax.
• The fibre is made into fabrics for household furnishings including upholstery and
canvas
• Ropes
• Twine
• Nets
Coir Fibre
Coir is a natural, coarse brown fibre, obtained from the husk of a coconut. The fibre
cells arehollow and narrow and have thick walls made up of cellulose.
Major Producers:
India, Srilanka are the most important coir producingcountries. The Indian state of
Kerala produces around60% of the total world coir production.
Applications:
Coir is a very useful natural fibre, finding application in :
Furniture making for stuffing upholstered furniture.
• Cordage
• Sail Cloth
• Coarse Mattings
• Door Mats
• Floor Mats
• Mattress
Pina Fibre
Pina, or pineapple fibre, is obtained from the large leaves of the pineapple plant
naturally foundin tropical countries.This natural fibre is soft and lustrous and woven
into pina cloth. The fibre is soft, durable and resistant tomoisture.
Applications:
• Pina is often used for manufacturing:
• Mats
• Cloth
• Bags
• Apparels
Animal fibers
Animal fibers are generally made up of proteins.
Examples include silk, wool, angora, mohair, and alpaca.
Animal hair (wool or hairs): Fiber or wool taken from animals or hairy mammals. For
example, sheep's wool, goat hair (cashmere, mohair), alpaca hair, horse hair, and so
on.
Silk fiber: Fiber collected from dried saliva of bugs or insects during the preparation
of cocoons. Examples include silk from silk worms.
Avian fiber: Fibers from birds, for example, feathers and feather fiber.
Wool Fibre
Wool is a natural fibre sourced from animals. It grows from the skin of sheep, goats.
Rabbit and alpacas are also used for producing high quality wool. This natural fibre is
composed of a protein known as Keratin and is a relatively coarse fibre.
Physical Characteristics:
The fibre is wavy, crimpy and has scales on its surface.The appearance of wool varies,
depending on the breedof sheep. While some fibres can be having finer scales,others
can have crimp and coarser scales. Wool fibre issusceptible to heat and has a felting
property, causeddue to the scales on the surface.
Physical properties of wool:Strength:
1.Wool is the weakest of the natural textile fibres.
2.Wool fibre is strengthened by the used of
ply yarns.
3.A hard twisted two ply yarn may be regarded
as an assurance of durability.
Major Countries:
The quality of wool is determined by the breeding, climate, food, general care and
health of the sheep. Australia is the world leader manufacturing high quality merino
wool. Other major producers of wool are New Zealand, Argentina, South Africa,
Uruguay and the United states.
Applications:
• Wool is used for manufacturing various products including:
• Clothing
• Carpets
• Felt
• Rugs
Silk Fibre
Silk is a natural fibre that is a solidifies protein secretion produced by certain
caterpillars.
Major Countries:
Japan was the first country to undertake commercial production of silk. It is ranked
number one,in terms of production of fine quality silk. Other countries include:
• China
• India
• Italy
• Spain
• France
• Austria
• Turkey
• Greece
• Brazil
Applications:
Silk has been used since a long time for a number of applications including:
• Home furnishings
• Apparels
• Upholstery
Types of Silk
Tussah silk
Tussah silk is a textured wild silk produced by wild silk worms living naturally in tropical
or semi-tropical forests in China and India and the cocoons are gathered after the moth
emerges. The silk is beige to brownish toned possibly due to tannin from the variety of
trees eaten by the caterpillars. The typical honey colour may be produced where the
larvae feed on oak leaves.
Dupion, habotai and noil are qualities of silk.
Dupion is an irregular, rough silk that occurs when two silk worms spin cocoons side-by-
side. This results in interlocked fibres, making it necessary to reel them together, and
produces a slub that gives the finished fabric a textured effect and reflective lustre.
Dupion is the most widely known silk and is often used for wedding dresses etc.
• Habotai means soft as down or soft as a feather in Japanese and is a medium
weight, ivory Chinese silk that is used for silk painting and for scarves or cushions.
• Noil is the short fibre left over from combing wool or spinning silk. As noil is a
shorter fibre, fabric made from noil is weaker and considered less valuable.
• Mawata silk caps and silk hankies
The cocoons are soaked in warm, soapy water and stretched over a frame that is square
(approx 25 cm square) for hankies. Caps are stretched over a bamboo framework that is
shaped like a knitted cap. Several cocoons are stretched over the frame so that each
hankie or cap is composed of several layers, each containing the silk fibres of one
cocoon. Mawata is Japanese for ‘spread out’ and refers to the expansion of the cocoon.
Man Made ( regenerated fibre , Synthetic fibre , in organic fibre)
• Synthetic fibres
Synthetic fibres and regenerated fibres are manufactured. All manufactured fibres start
as filament fibres.
• Regenerated fibres are made from natural materials, such as cellulose from wood,
that are chemically processed. Viscose and rayon are regenerated fibres.
• Synthetic fibres are all man-made from organic polymers, made by refining crude
petroleum, coal, limestone and water oil . Polyester, nylon and acrylic are synthetic
fibres.
Synthetic fibres
Fibre Source Attribute
Acrylic Petroleum Products/Lightweight, warm, dries quickly
Kevlar Aramids Very strong
Modacrylic Petroleum Product/Lightweight, warm, dries quickly
Nomex Aramids Chemical, electrical, and flame resistant
Nylon Petroleum Products/Durable, strong, lightweight,dries quick ly
Polyester Petroleum Products/Durable, strong, lightweight, dries
Spandex Petroleum Products/Elastic, strong, lightweight
Rayon Regenerated cellulose Weak when wet
Modacrylic (1949)
Olefin (1949)
Acrylic (1950)
Polyester (1953)
Rayon (1894) artificial silk
Vinyon (1939)
Saran (1941)
Spandex (1959)
Vinalon (1939)
Aramids (1961
Rayon
This is a type of synthetic fibre obtained from wood pulp.
Rayon is soft, absorbent and comfortable.
It is easy to dye in wide range of colors.
Rayon is mixed with cotton to make bedsheets.
Rayon is mixed with wool to make carpets.
Nylon
This type of synthetic fibre is obtained from coal, water and air.
Nylon is very lustrous, easy to wash and elastic.
It dries quickly and retains its shape.
Nylon finds its application in seat belts of car, sleeping bags, socks, ropes, etc.
Nylon is also used in ropes for rock climbing, making parachutes and fishing nets.
Polyester
This type of synthetic fibre is obtained from coal, water, air and petroleum.
Polyester is made from repeating units of chemical known as esters.
Polyester is easy to wash and it remains wrinkle free and it is quite suitable in making dress
material.
Polyester retains its shape and remains crisp.
Polyester is used in making ropes, nets, raincoats, jackets, etc.
Mineral fibers
Fibers obtained from mineral sources may be used in their naturally occurring form or
after slight modifications. They can be placed in the following categories:
Asbestos: This is a mineral that occurs naturally in fibrous form. Variations are
serpentine (chrysotile) and amphiboles (amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, actinolite, and
anthophyllite).
Ceramic fibers: Glass fibers (glass wool and quartz), aluminum oxide, silicon carbide,
and boron carbide.
Metal fibers: Aluminum fibers
Asbestos Fibre
Asbestos is a natural fibre sourced
from minerals, i.e. varieties of rocks
found in Italy, Canadaand South
America.
Physical Characteristics
The soft, glossy, long and white fibres
are pressed into sheets. Chrysolite
asbestos has a fine andlong staple that
has lot of strength and flexibility. The
fiber does not burn, but melts at
asufficiently high temperature. It is
rustproof and acid proof.
Applications: Asbestos is a group of minerals that occur
Asbestos has been used in making fire naturally as bundles of fibers. These fibers
fighting and fire resistant fabrics. It is are found in soil and rocks in many parts of
used tomanufacture commercial the world. They are made mainly of silicon
furnishings including theater curtains, and oxygen, but they also contain other
draperies etc. elements.
Products
Textile products that may have contained asbestos include:
Aprons
Canvas
Carpeting
Electrical cloth
Filter paper (for juices or chemicals)
Fire blankets
Fire draperies and curtains (for use in theaters)
Firefighter’s clothing
Glassblower mitts
Gloves
Ironing board covers
Metal mesh blankets
Oven mitts
Pipe coverings
Pot holders
Prison cell padding
Protective clothing for metal and foundry workers
Upholstery
Welder’s blankets
Ceramic fibers
Ceramic fibers are used as insulation
materials, because of their ability to
withstand high temperatures, and are
used primarily for lining furnaces and
kilns. The products are in the form of
blankets, boards, felts, bulk fibers,
vacuum-formed or cast shapes, paper,
and textiles.
Typical Applications:
Safety and protective insulation cover,
curtains, blanket, welding blanket
Expansion joint fabric
Insulation wrapping material for cable,
wire, pipe, exhaust, etc.
Gaskets, tadpole gasket and other high
temperature insulation seal
Ceramic Fiber Rope and Braid
Metallic fibers
Metallic fibres are usually combined with others for decorative effect. Such
combinations are used for knitting yarns, trimmings, and ribbons; in such apparel as
knitwear, evening gowns, swimsuits, and neckties; and in such home furnishings as
curtains, upholstery, and tablecloths. Industrial applications include automotive
upholstery, theatre curtains, and grilles for radio and television sets.Stainless steel and
other metal fibers are used in communication lines such as phone lines and cable
television lines. Stainless steel fibers are also used in carpets. The presence of the fibers
helps to conduct electricity so that the static shock is reduced. Other uses include tire
cord, missile nose cones, work clothing such as protective suits, space suits, and cut
resistant gloves for butchers and other people working near bladed or dangerous
machinery.
are manufactured fibers composed of metal, plastic-coated metal, metal-coated plastic,
or a core completely covered by metal. Gold and silver have been used since ancient
times as yarns for fabric decoration. More recently, aluminum yarns, aluminized plastic
yarns, and aluminized nylon yarns have replaced gold and silver. Metallicfilaments can
be coated with transparent films to minimize tarnishing.
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