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

TYPE NAME OF FIBRE SOURCE

Natural Fibers

Vegetable Fibres Cotton Fibre Cellulose

Vegetable Fibres Linen Fibre Cellulose

Vegetable Fibres Jute Fibre Cellulose

Vegetable Fibres Hemp Fibre Cellulose

Vegetable Fibres Sisal Fibre Cellulose

Vegetable Fibres Kapok Fibre Cellulose

Vegetable Fibres Ramie Fibre Cellulose

Vegetable Fibres Coir Fibre Cellulose

Vegetable Fibres Pina Fibre Cellulose

Animal Fibres Wool Fibre Protein

Animal Fibres Silk Fibre Protein

Mineral Fibres Asbestos Fibre Varieties of Rock

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 FibreCotton is a natural fibre, growing in the seed pod, or boll of the cotton plant. The fibre is composed of about 90 % cellulose and around 6% moisture. 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 ability to

resist of being pulled or torn apart when undergoes to tension.

Elasticity:Elasticity means the extent to which a fibre can be elongated by tension & then return to its original shape.

Resilience:1. It means the extent to which a fabric can be deformed by compression & return to its

original condition.2. Finishing process does a lot to improve wrinkle resistant quality of cotton goods.

Drapability:1. It is concerned with the ability of fabric to hang easily & fall into graceful to shape &

folds.2. This quality depends on the kind of fibre, yarn, fabric construction & finish used to final

goods.

Absorbency:1. It determines the amount of moisture taken up by

the fibre from air.2. Cotton fibre is very absorbent.3. Twist in the yarn also influences absorbency.4. Low twist yarn absorbs more moisture than high

twisted yarn.5. Fabric structure also plays role in absorbency.

Looser structure will be more absorbent than tighter one.

Chemical properties of cotton fibre:

Reaction to alkalis:1. Alkali does not harm cotton fibre.2. Strong alkali solution (NaOH) improves the qualities of cotton fibre.3. The treatment of cotton fibre with sodium hydroxide & lustrous.

Reaction to acids:1. Concentrated cold or diluted mineral acids like H2SO4 will damage cotton.2. Weak organic acids like acetic acid will not damage cotton.3. Care must be exercised when cotton comes in contact with acids.

Affinity for dyes:1. Cotton has a good level of affinity for dyes.2. Reactive, vat & azoic dyes are most commonly used to dye cotton.

Resistance to perspiration:1. Human body sweat may be alkaline or acidic.2. It depends on the individual’s metabolism.3. Alkali perspiration does not harm cotton as it is resistant to alkali.4. Acid perspiration causes a slight deteriorating effect, which leads discoloration.

Effect of heat:1. Cotton has the ability to withstand moderate heat.2. But extreme heat will cause cotton goods burnt.

Shrinkage:1. Cotton fibres absorb water when it is wet.2. It tends to shrink as it dries.3. There are some chemical available for finishing process.4. Such finishing can improve its shrinked.

Applications:Cotton is used to make fabrics that are universally used for all types of :

Apparel Home Furnishings

Industrial Applications

Linen Fibre

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 composed of 70 percent cellulose, and 30 percent pectin, woody tissue, ash and moisture.

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 also more difficult to spin into yarn. It has a long staple fibre

length when compared to cotton.

Properties of LinenLinen has a number of properties, which makes it useful for various industrial applications, use in home furnishings and apparels. Some of them are:

Strength: Linen is a durable fibre, as is two-three times as strong as cotton. It is second in strength to silk.

Elasticity: Elasticity is the extent to which a fibre can be elongated or stretched and the then returned to its normal condition and size. Linen is the least elastic natural fabric.

Resilience: Resilience refers to the extent to which a fabric can be deformed by crushing or compressing it, and finally returning it to its original condition. Linen is quite

stiff and wrinkles easily. Absorbency: Absorbency refers to the

extent to which moisture can penetrate into a fiber. The fiber absorbs moisture and dries more quickly. It is excellent for manufacturing towels and handkerchiefs.

Heat Conductivity : Heat conductivity refers to the extent to which heat can be conveyed through a fibre. It is most suitable for use in summers, as the fibre allows the heat to escape, leaving a cool effect.

Major Producers:Western Europe is the major producer of finest quality linen, China is also one of the leading producer of high quality linen. Ireland, Italy and Belgium are other significant producers. Belgium produces the best quality linen, and Ireland is known for its craftsmanship.

Applications:Linen is one of the widely used fibre used in :

Apparels Home furnishings

Commercial furnishing

Upholstery

Industrial application

Jute FibreKnown as the raw material for sacks all over the world. Jute is truly one of the most versatile

fibres gifted to man by nature that finds various uses in the form of Handicrafts. Next to cotton, jute is the cheapest and most important of all textile fibres. Jute cultivation provides work for millions of farmers, landless laborers, industrial workers and provides jobs for many others, indirectly.

Characteristics of Jute Fibre:Jute is a long, soft, shiny fibre that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is one of the cheapest natural fibres, and is second only to cotton in amount produced and variety of uses. Jute fibres are composed primarily of the plant materials

cellulose, lignin, and pectin. Both the fibre and the plant from which it comes are commonly called jute.

Chemical composition:

Physical properties:

1. Specific gravity- 1.482. Moisture – St. M.R 13.75 & absorb 35 – 40% water of its dry weight.

Cellulose 65.2 %

Hemicelluloses 22.2 %

Lignin 10.8 %

Water soluble 1.5 %

Fats & wax 0.3 %

3. Strength- Tenacity-dry 3.5-5 g/d wet lower than dry.4. Elasticity-Breaking extension – 1.8% Recovery (%) very low. For high tenacity, less

extension, high stiffness Jute fibres is brittle & can holds less twist. So Emulsion is added to make it soft.

5. Specific heat is 0.3256. Resiliency-bad, Abrasion resistance moderate, Dimensional stability-good.

Chemical properties:

Effect of bleaches:

Not affect by oxidizing or reducing bleaches.

Acids & Alkalis:

Easily damaged by hot dilute or cold concentrated acids. Resistant to alkalis.

Organic solvents:

Resistant to organic solvents.

Sun light & heat:

Poor resistant scorches at high temperature.

Resistant to stains:

Poor resistant to water borne stains.

Biological properties:

Scoured jute has good to excellent resistant to microorganisms & insects.

Heat:

Burns rapidly, Snoldering red after glow.

Conductivity:

Moderate conductor of electricity & heat.

Usage:The uses of jute are manifold although the traditional use remains in packing as sacking, hessian and carpet backing. These light weight yarns are to be used in value added textile applications like 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 and

gunny 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 jute are made into imitation silk. The fibres are used alone or blended with other types of fibres to make 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 properties.

Among the known varieties of hemp, only those possessing high luster, high tensile strength and fineness are grown on a commercial basis. Hemp resembles flax and is often mistaken for linen. The fibre cannot be bleached easily without causing damage to the fibre.

Properties of Hemp:The following properties of the fibre make it useful in the home furnishing and other industries. Some of them are:

Harsh and Stiff Durable

Fine

Lustrous

Brittle

Mattress

China, North Korea, Hungary, Romania, Poland, France and Italy are some of the important countries growing hemp.

Applications:Hemps is widely used in the home furnishing industry for manufacturing rugs and carpets. It is also 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 fibre and 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 extensively used 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 the significant producers of high quality sisal, used in different applications.Applications:Sisal is used for making a number of products including :

Rope Twine

Upholstering

Mattress

Carpets

Kapok FibreKapok 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 frequent folds.

Properties of Kapok:Kapok possesses the following properties that make it useful for manufacturing different products:

Light Very Buoyant

Resilient

Highly Flammable

Vermin Resistant

Moisture Resistant

Dries Quickly

Smooth

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 FibreRamie is a natural fibre having a woody appearance that resembles flax. The natural fibre is hardly used for textiles. Various processes including extraction and cleaning are expensive, as they involve several steps.

Physical Characteristics:Ramie is a stiff fibre, more brittle than linen and very lustrous. The fibre can be bleached to extreme whiteness. The fibre is however unprofitable to general use because the retting operation is difficult and costly. The fibre has permanent luster and good affinity for dyes. It is one of the strongest natural fibres and has greater strength when wet. Major Producers:South east Asia, China, Japan and Southern Europe are some of the major producers of ramie fiber. Philippines and Brazil are also significant producers of fine quality ramie.

Applications:Pina is often used for manufacturing:

Apparels : Ramie is used as a filling yarn in mixed woolen fabrics, it is also used with silk fibers and a substitute for flax.

The fibre is made into fabrics for household furnishings including upholstery and canvas

Ropes

Twine

Nets

Coir FibreCoir is a natural, coarse brown fibre, obtained from the husk of a coconut. The fibre cells are

hollow and narrow and have thick walls made up of cellulose.

Major Producers:India, Srilanka are the most important coir producing countries. The Indian state of Kerala produces around 60% 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 found in tropical countries.

This natural fibre is soft and lustrous and woven into pina cloth. The fibre is soft, durable and resistant to moisture.

Applications:Pina is often used for manufacturing:

Mats Cloth

Bags

Apparels

Wool FibreWool 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 breed of sheep. While some fibres can be having finer scales, others can have crimp and coarser scales. Wool fibre is susceptible to heat and has a felting property, caused due 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.4. Tightly twisted single yarns also make a strong fabric.

Elasticity:1. Depending upon the quality of wool, the fibre may be stretched from 25-30 percent of its

natural length.2. This characteristic reduces the danger of tearing under tension.

3. This characteristic contributes to the free body movements.4. Wool & wool blend fabrics are given mechanical & chemical treatment to increase their

elasticity & provide better two way stretch.5. The chemical treatment also gives better shape retention.

Resilience:1. Wool fibre has a high degree of resilience.2. Good quality wool is soft & resilient.3. Poor quality wool gives a harsh feeling.4. Due to the high degree of resiliency, wool fabric wrinkles less than some others.

Drapability:It has excellent draping quality due to its pliability, elasticity, and resiliency.

Effect of heat:1. Wool becomes harsh at 100˚C & begins to decompose at slightly higher temperature.2. It has plastic quality which helps to have shape at melting temperature.

Effect of light:Wool is weakened by prolonged exposure to sunlight.

Chemical properties of wool:

Reaction to alkalis:Wool is quickly damaged by strong alkalis.

Reaction to acids:1. Wool is damaged by hot sulphuric acid.2. The fibre is not affected by other acids.

Affinity for dyes:Wool fibre has high affinity for certain types of dyes, i.e. Acid dyes, Basic dyes.

Resistance to perspirations:Wool is weakened by alkali perspiration. That will cause discolouration.

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 FibreSilk is a natural fibre that is a solidifies protein secretion produced by certain caterpillars.

Physical Characteristics:The fibre is a fine continuous strand unwound from the cocoon of silkworm. Silkworms are generally cultivated. The fibre can be fine and coarse, is lustrous, smooth, light weight, strong and elastic.

Chemical composition:

Silk gum of sericin 22-25 %Silk or fibroin 62.5-67 %Water 10-11 %Salts etc 1-1.5 %

Polymer system:

Wool yarn Worsted yarnShort staple Long stapleCarded only Carded & combedWeaker StrongerSofter Harder

The silk polymer is folded linear fibroin polymer. It has no cystine linkage like wool polymer 7 has high degree of orientation. The polymer is 140 µm long & 9 µm thick, 65-70 % crystalline. It contains 16 anion acids.

Functional group: COOH, -NH2,-CONH-

Physical properties:

1. Specific gravity- 1.34

2. Moisture- St. M.R- 11%

3. Strength- Tenacity – dry 4.3 g/d ; wet = dry 92

4. Elasticity- Braking extension – 23.4% ; Recovery (%) – 52

5. Resiliency- Moderate, Abrasion resistance- good, Dimensional stability- good.

Chemical properties:

Effect of acid:

Degraded by acid increase luster & develop scroop.

Effect of alkali:

More resistance than wool, dissolves in hot concentrated solution.

Effect of bleach:

Same as wool, called degumming.

Effect of organic solvent:

Resistance.

Effect of heat:

Poor conductivity, scorches easily due to breakage of side chain.

Effect of sunlight:

Very sensitive tends to degraded. More sensitive than any other fibre.

Effect of due:

Ability- need lower temperature than any other natural fibre. Give brighter shade with direct, acid, basic & vat.

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

Asbestos FibreAsbestos is a natural fibre sourced from minerals, i.e. varieties of rocks found in Italy, Canada and South America.

Physical CharacteristicsThe soft, glossy, long and white fibres are pressed into sheets. Chrysolite asbestos has a fine and long staple that has lot of strength and flexibility. The fiber does not burn, but melts at a sufficiently high temperature. It is rustproof and acid proof.

Applications:Asbestos has been used in making fire fighting and fire resistant fabrics. It is used to manufacture commercial furnishings including theater curtains, draperies etc.