Textile Fibres An Overview

Fibre: It is a single hair like strand having the following properties sufficient length,
pliability and strength.
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
Natural Fibres
a) Vegetable
i) Seed Cotton
ii) Stem Jute, Flax
iii) Leaves Pineapple
iv) Fruit Coir
b) Animal
i) Wool
ii) Silk
c) Mineral
i) Asbestos

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

Man Made Fibres (Synthetic)

i) Polyester
ii) Nylon
iii) Polypropylene
iv) Acrylic
v) Aramid
vi) Polyethylene
Constituent of fibres
All fibres consist of polymer molecular chains which are arranged inside a fibre in a
definite fashion.

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.

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

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.

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.

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
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

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.

Fibre

Density
(g/cc)

Cotton and other

Cellulosic fibres

1.54

Acetate fibre
Silk
Wool
Nylon
Polyester
Acrylic

1.32
1.32
1.32
1.14
1.38
1.17

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.
Chemical

Fibres

1. Sodium hypochlorite
(5% chlorine, 25C)

Wool and silk

2.
3.
4.
5
6.
7.
8.
9.

Silk
Cellulosics
Viscose
Acetate, Triacetate
Nylon6, Nylon66
Acrylic
Polyester
Polypropylene

Cold 70% Sulphuric acid

75% Sulphuric acid (at 25C)
Sodium Zincate (cotton insoluble)
Cold Acetone
Formic acid (at 25C)
Dimethyl Formide Cold
Meta cresol, 95C
Meta xylene (at boil)