Fiber Characteristics

1
Fiber Characteristics

• Chapter 2

2
Fiber Sources

• Natural Fibers
• Obtained from plants or animals
• Plant Fibers
• Flax, hemp, jute, ramie, cotton and kapok
• Animal Fibers
• Wool, cashmere, mohair and silk
• Manufactured Fibers
• Made from chemical solutions that are forced
  through tiny holes
• The device used to form the filaments is called a
  spinerette

3
Fiber Structure

• Fiber Length
• Stable fibers are measure in inches (all
  manufactured fibers)
• Fibers of longer length are called filament
  fibers (silk is the only natural one)

4
Fiber Shape

• Hollow-core
• Dogbone
• Flat, Oval with Convolutions
• Square with voids
• Serrated
• Round
• Trilobal

5
Absorbency

• The ability to take in moisture
• It is usually expressed as a percentage of
  moisture regain
• Fibers able to absorb water easily are called
  hydrophilic fibers
• Fibers that have difficulty absorbing water and
  are only able to absorb small amounts are called
  hydrophobic fibers

6
Fiber Absorbency

• Skin Comfort
• Static Build-up
• Dimensional Stability in Water
• Stain Removal
• Water Repellency
• Wrinkle Recovery

7
Cover

• The ability to occupy an area

8
Elasticity

• The ability to increase in length when under
  tension and then return to the original length
  when released

9
Flammability

• The ability to ignite or burn
• Flammable fibers are relatively easy to ignite
• Flame-resistant fibers have relatively high
  ignition temperature and slow rate of burning
• Flameproof fibers will not burn

10
Flexibility

• The capability of a fiber to bend easily and
  repeatedly without breaking

11
Hand

• The way a fiber, yarn, or fabric feels when
  handled
• It is affected by its shape, surface and
  configuration

12
Luster

• Refers to the light reflected from a surface
• Increased light reflection occurs from a smoother
  surface, less crimp, flatter cross-sectional
  shape, and longer fiber length

13
Pilling

• The formation of groups of short or broken fibers
  on the surface of a fabric that are tangled
  together in the shape of a tiny ball called a
  pill
• They are formed when the ends of a fiber break
  from the fabric surface, usually from wear

14
Resiliency

• The capability of a material to spring back in
  shape after being creased, twisted, or distorted

15
Static Electricity

• The frictional electric charge caused by the
  rubbing together of two dissimilar materials

16
Strength

• A fibers ability to withstand stress