4.01 fibers and fabrics

1

• 4.01 fibers and fabrics

2
Vocabulary

• Fiber The smallest unit in a textile fabric.
• Yarn A group of fibers twisted together to form
  a continuous strand.
• Fabric Any material that is made by weaving,
  knitting, braiding, knotting, laminating,
  felting, or chemical bonding.
• Hand The way a fabric feels to the touch.
• Denier Thickness or diameter of a fiber.
• Microfibers man-made, Ultra fine, soft,
  luxurious fibers
• CAD (Computer Aided Design) Computer system
  software used for designing textiles, fashion,
  apparel, and other products.

3
Natural Fibers
Fibers from plants or animals.

• Staple fibers Lower quality, short fibers.
• Filament fibers Long, continuous fibers of
  higher quality.

• Cellulosic fibers Fibers from plants.
• Protein fibers Fibers derived from animals or
  insects.

4
Manufactured fibers
Fibers that are man-made and are created by
combining various substances with chemicals.

• Solid raw materials and chemicals are melted or
  dissolved to form a thick liquid.
• The liquid is forced through the tiny holes of a
  mechanical device known as a spinnerette to form
  filaments. (Similar to pushing dough through a
  pasta machine to make spaghetti.)
• The filaments are then stretched, hardened, and
  crimped and/or cut into lengths.

5

• Cellulosic manufactured fibers are made from
  cellulose from plants such as soft wood pulp and
  are changed into usable fibers by applying
  chemicals.
• Noncellulosic manufactured fibers are made from
  various petrochemical mixtures of crude oil,
  natural gas, air, and water.

6
Blend A combination of two or more fibers that
maximizes the best features of each fiber.

• Example Combining cotton with polyester

7
Natural fibers

• Cotton
• Wool

• Flax (linen)
• Silk

8
Cotton
The soft, white, downy fiber (boll) attached to
the seed of a cotton plant.

• Most widely used of all natural fibers
• Grown in the southern U.S. and other warm
  climates
• Characteristics
• Strong and durable
• Absorbent
• Cool to wear
• Shrinks in hot water
• Wrinkles easily

9
Cotton

• Proper care
• Machine wash
• Tumble dry at moderate temperatures
• Press with warm to hot iron
• Common uses
• Underwear
• Socks
• Shirts, blouses
• Jeans
• Towels, sheets

10
Wool

• The coat (fleece) of sheep.
• Characteristics
• Warmest of all natural fibers
• Soft and resilient
• Naturally flame retardant
• Absorbs moisture more slowly than cotton
• Shrinks if machine washed or dried unless
  chemically treated
• Affected by moths

11
Wool

• Proper care for untreated wool
• Dry clean or hand wash in cool water and a mild
  detergent
• Do not place in dryer

• Common uses
• Sweaters
• Tailored suits
• Coats
• Blankets
• Upholstery
• Rugs, carpets

12
Flax

• The fiber that comes from the stem of a flax
  plant.
• Grown primarily in Eastern Europe
• Linen is flax fabric.

• Common uses
• Pants
• Blazers
• Table linens
• Upholstery

13
Flax

• Characteristics
• Durable and strong
• Lustrous and smooth
• Comfortable and cool to wear
• Wrinkles easily
• Proper Care
• Hand wash or dry clean (according to garment
  label)
• Iron while damp

14
Silk
The fine, lustrous fiber that comes from a
cocoon spun by a silkworm.

• Primarily produced Thailand, China, India

15
Silk

• Characteristics
• Luxurious appearance and feel
• Strongest of all natural fibers
• Drapes nicely
• Expensive
• Easily spots if fabric becomes wet

16
Leather and Fur

• Hides or skins of animals.
• Leather A tough, flexible material made by
  preserving animal hides through a process called
  tanning.

17
Leather is used for Handbags Shoes Belts Jack
ets

• Primary sources
• Cattle
• Goatskins
• Sheepskins
• Reptiles

Suede Leather with a napped surface on the
flesh side.
18
Fur
The soft, hairy coat of an animal.

• Fur is used for
• Coats
• Outerwear
• Trimmings
• Common Sources
• Mink
• Chinchilla
• Fox
• Rabbit

19
Manufactured fiberseach has its own slide

• Polyester
• Nylon
• Acrylic

• Rayon
• Acetate
• Spandex

20
Polyester

• Made from coal or petroleum
• Often blended with other fibers
• Resists wrinkling
• Great washability
• Pills easily
• Static buildup
• Common uses
• Childrens wear, shirts, suits

21
Nylon

• First fiber to be manufactured totally from
  chemicals
• Strong, durable
• Dries quickly
• Resists wrinkles and soil
• Washes easily
• Heat sensitive
• Clings to the wearer
• Common uses
• Hosiery, swimwear, windbreakers

22
Acrylic

• Common uses
• Knitted
  
  
  garments
• Outdoor furniture fabrics and awnings
• Rugs

• Resembles wool
• Soft and warm
• Wrinkle resistant
• Static buildup
• Pills easily

23
Rayon

• Soft, absorbent, and comfortable
• Inexpensive
• Stretches and is weak when wet
• Mildews and wrinkles easily
• Common uses
• Linings
• Sports shirts
• Jackets

24
Acetate

• Made from wood pulp
• Silky, luxurious
• Deep luster, soft
• Wrinkles easily
• Special care needed in cleaning
• Common uses
• Neckties
• Lingerie
• Blouses
• Linings

25
Spandex

• Stretchy
• Easily damaged by bleach
• Nonabsorbent
• Common uses
• Swimwear
• Dancewear
• Exercise wear

26
Fabric Production Steps

1. Fibers are twisted together into yarns.
2. Yarns are woven or knitted to form fabric.
3. Color is added by dyeing or printing to enhance
   the fabrics appeal.
4. A finish is applied to make the fabric suitable
   for its end use and to improve its appearance.

27
Turning Yarn into Fabric

• Weaving The process of interlacing one or more
  sets of yarns at right angles on a loom.

• Warp yarns Yarns that run lengthwise in woven
  fabric.
• Weft yarns Yarns that run crosswise in woven
  fabric.

28

• Grain The direction of the lengthwise and
  crosswise yarns or threads in a woven fabric.
• Bias The diagonal grain of a fabric. The
  bias provides the greatest stretch in the fabric.

29
Weaving

• Plain weave The simplest of all weaves in which
  the crosswise yarn is passed over then under each
  lengthwise yarn.
• Examples broadcloth, muslin, flannel

Plain weave
30

• Twill weave
• Used for durability
• This weave produces a diagonal design on the
  surface.
• Examples denim, gabardine

Twill weave
31

• Satin weave
• Weave that produces a smooth, shiny-surfaced
  fabric
• Examples sateen, satin

Satin weave
32

• Other weaves
• Pile weavecorduroy, velvet
• Jacquardbrocade, damask (upholstery)
• Lenofabrics with an open, lacy appearance (like
  fruit bags)

33
Knitting
Constructing fabric by looping yarns together.

• Weft knits Knits made with only one yarn that
  runs crosswise forming a horizontal row of
  interlocking loops.
• Grandmas knitting

34

• Warp knits Knits made with several yarns
  creating loops that interlock in the lengthwise
  direction.
• Gauge The number of stitches, or loops, per
  inch in a knitted fabric.

35
Other Fabric Construction

• Nonwoven. Fibers are compacted together using
  moisture, heat, chemicals, friction, or pressure.
  Examples quilt batting, garment interfacings,
  felt, artificial suede
• Laces and nets. Made by knotting, twisting, or
  looping yarns. Example lace
• Quilted fabric. A layer of padding or batting is
  sandwiched between two layers of fabric and held
  in place by stitching. Examples of use
  bedspreads, placemats, and outerwear

36
Fabric finishing

• Applying colors, designs or surface treatments
  that change the look, feel, or performance of
  fabrics.
• Bleaching Chemical processes that remove
  color, impurities, or spots from fibers.
• Dyeing A method of giving color to a fiber,
  yarn, fabric, or garment.
• Printing The process of adding color, pattern,
  or design to the surface of fabrics.

37
Finish categories

• Chemical Finishes that become part of the
  fabric through chemical reactions with the
  fibers.
• Affect performance
• Examples flame retardant, stain resistant,
  waterproof, permanent press, preshrunk

• Mechanical Finishes that are applied
  mechanically rather than chemically.
• Affect size and appearance
• Examples glazing, embossing, brushing/napping/cu
  tting (corduroy)

38
Trends and Technology
39
Equipment and machinery

• More automated weaving and knitting machines
• Color management tools that can synchronize a
  colored design on a computer screen, a paper
  printout, and the actual fabric color
• Sophisticated CAD tools with 3D capabilities
• Processes constantly monitored by computer systems

40

• Microfibers
• Enhanced characteristics for high performance
  fabrics resulting in production of intelligent
  garments
• - wicking (a fibers ability to draw moisture
  away from the body so it can evaporate)
• - coolness
• - warmth
• - protection

41
Recycling

• Plastic soda bottles converted into polyester
  fiber
• used to make fabric for t-shirts and filling for
  pillows
• can be recycled numerous times without losing its
  performance attributes
• Eco-spun

42
Government regulations

• The Wool Products Labeling Act (1939) provides
  that all garments made of wool have a label
  indicating the percentage and kind of wool used.
• The Textile Fiber Products Identification Act
  (1958) requires that all clothing have a label
  listing the generic fiber content by percentage.
• The Flammable Fabrics Act (1953) regulates the
  sale of highly flammable fabrics used in apparel
  and prohibits the sale of extremely flammable
  fabrics.
• The Permanent Care Labeling Act (1972) requires
  that all clothing offered for sale in retail
  stores have a label indicating specific care
  instructions. New symbols for use in this
  labeling were introduced in 1997.