Some Terms or Properties of Textile Fibre

To study textile, we need to have a complete idea on its raw materials like fibres. There are a lot of textile fibres we gonna discuss later like cotton, jute, flax, hemp, wool, silk, polyester, nylon, kevlar, aramid, carbon etc

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We need to analyze different fibre on different properties. In this case, first of all i am trying to give the primary idea or definitions of this items or properties of fibres. Here i am not providing the properties of any specific fibre rather just defining the terms on which fibre properties will be elaborately described.

To be a textile fibre it should possess following three types of properties

a) Physical properties

It means the outside shape of fibrous materials. It plays a vital role to verify fibre materials from each other.

• High length to width ratio
Fibrous material must possess adequate staple or fibre length and the length must be considerably higher (1000 times) than the width of the fibre. To be a fibre, the staple length must not be less than ½ inch.

• Strength
Strength of any material is determined by the breaking strength which express as force per-unit cross sectional area. In case of describing the strength of individual fibre the term tenacity is usually used.

• Fineness
Fineness defines the external splendor or glossiness and coarseness of any fibrous material. It also indicates the quality of any material.

• Flexibility
It is one of the essential property of textile fibre. The fibre should be sufficient by pliable, than only it can be wrapped around another fibre during spinning.

• Uniformity
It may describe the similarities in length of fibre which are spun into yarn. To make a good quality yarn, it is important that the fibres must be similar in length and width in spinning and flexibility quality. Natural fibre uniformity is difficult to achieve. But there is no problem in producing uniform man made fibres.

• Spinning quality
This characteristics refers to the ability of the fibre to stick together in yarn manufacturing processes. Cohesiveness indicates that fibre tends to hold together during yarn manufacturing.

• Physical shape
It affects the surface irregularities and cross section of the fibre. Thus, it affects the properties of the produced yarn and therefore the fabric.

• Elastic recovery and elongation
Elastic recovery is the percent to return from elongation towards its original length. When a fibre is subjected to a force it will stretch to a certain degree. The stretching is described as the elongation or extension.

• Resiliency
Resiliency is the ability of fibre to bounce a back to its shape following compressions, bending or similar deformations.

• Toughness
Toughness is something that can be bent a little or hard to break or cut. It actually depends on quality of textile fibre.

• Density
Density means the thickness of the textile fibre.

• Lusture
Lusture refers to gloss or shine that a fibre possess. It is actually the amount of light reflected by the fibre and it determined the fibres natural brightness and dullness.

• Color
If the printing is applied on any fibre, it seems it does not spread the color outside the design.

Fig: Some Synthetic Fibres Source

b) Thermal properties

The behavior of fibres on heating has real importance, particularly within the range of temperatures, that are met in practical use. Fabric should be withstand the temperatures used in processing, drying, ironing without undue deterioration. Thermal properties are given below

• Amorphousness
Generally in fibrous materials polymers are stayed here in two ways. Amorphousness is a term which indicate the separate situation of polymers of textile fibre.

• Crystalline
It is an opposite word of amorphousness when fibrous materials show its crystalline, it means its polymers are very well designed or well arranged.

• Flammability
Flammability means when fibres on heating, the polymer are also heated. Then how much the polymer are well arranged or separated it will measured. And on heating situation how the polymer are re-act is called flammability.

• Dye-ability
Here the word ‘dye’ means color and ‘ability’ means power of coloring. So we can say that, dye ability express the power of coloring fibrous materials in different way i.e. Polyester fibre shows good dye ability at high temperature.

FIg: Cotton fibre and Polyester Fibre Source

c) Chemical properties

Processing of fibres, yarns and fabrics often involve the case of chemicals of great variety. Bleaching agents, detergents, alkalis, acids, dyeing assistances and other chemicals are used in preparing the finished textiles. The chemical properties are given below

• Water
In water, the textile fibres will re-act different way. Some fibres are hydrophilic and some are hydrophobic in water. Cotton is hydrophilic whereas polyester is hydrophobic.

• Acid
The textile fibres are re-act in different way in acid in certain time and temperature. Cotton fibres will be dissolved in highly concentrated sulphuric acid but polyester fibres will remain stable in acid.

• Absorbency
Absorbency is related with hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials. In case of hydrophilic materials like cotton, here absorbency is higher than polyester as it is an hydrophobic material.

• Alkali
Alkali is a medium where different fibres will re-act in different ways in certain condition. Wool fibres are highly affected in concentrated solution of caustic soda but cotton fibres will lose its little strength.

• Heat
In heat the polymer of the fibres are destroyed. As a result, the fibres will lose its strength.

• Sunlight
The fibre will change its color in sunlight. Cotton fibres will turn yellow from white.

• Biological agent
Some fibres, basically for natural fibres, they are destroyed by the biological agents. Like bacteria, agaricus. So, the fibres must be able to protect themselves from the destructive effect of the biological agent.

• Moisture content
Textile fibre generally have some certain amount of water as an internal part of their structure. This is because of the humidity present in nature. Moisture content is defined as the weight of water in a material expressed as a percentage of the total weight of the material.

• Moisture regain
It is defined as the weight of water in a material expressed to the woven dry weight of the material.

ALL FIBRES ARE NOT TEXTILE FIBRES

A fibre is a unit of matter whose length is 500-1000 times larger than its width. All the fibres cannot be textile fibres because to be a textile fibre, it should possess some important qualities. It should have sufficient strength, crimp, friction, power to react with acid and alkalis and the power to protect the effect of biological agents etc.

Cotton, Jute etc. Are the textile fibres as they have the above qualities but fibres of Banana tree only fibre and not textile fibres as they do not possess quality like sufficient strength, length, elasticity, crimp, friction, appearance etc. So, we can say clearly that,
All fibres are not textile fibres.

Who I am:

I am lecturer of Textile Engineering in Bangladesh and a newly married husband. I love to share my thoughts and ideas to my friends and community. I want to express whatever I have learn so far in YouTube, DTube etc. I explain Textile, Earning and Cryptocurrency related vlogs. I love to capture Natural Photography. I am always a learner and wants to make huge community here in Steem Blockchain to reach to the moon with steem.