Unit 2: Textile fibres
Elements of Textiles notes · PTU syllabus (BSTD 101-20)
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Unit summary
Fibres decide how a fabric looks, feels, wears and is cared for. This unit covers fibre classification, properties affecting aesthetics, durability, comfort, safety and care, natural fibres, man-made cellulosic and synthetic fibres, and newer fibres.
After this unit you can
- Classify textile fibres
- Relate fibre properties to end use
- Describe natural fibres
- Describe man-made cellulosic, synthetic and new fibres
PTU syllabus topics
- Fibre classification
- essential properties affecting aesthetics
- durability
- comfort
- safety and care
- natural fibres (cotton, flax, jute, hemp, silk, wool)
- man-made cellulose fibres (viscose rayon, acetate, Tencel)
- man-made synthetic fibres (nylon, polyester, acrylic, spandex, olefin)
- latest fibres
Natural: plant (cellulose)
Cotton, flax (linen), jute, hemp
Natural: animal (protein)
Silk, wool
Man-made: regenerated cellulose
Viscose rayon, acetate, Tencel (lyocell)
Man-made: synthetic
Nylon, polyester, acrylic, spandex, olefin
Topic 1
Classification of fibres
Natural — cellulosic (plant)
Cotton (seed), flax and jute and hemp (bast), sisal (leaf), coir (fruit)
Natural — protein (animal)
Wool and hair fibres, silk
Natural — mineral
Asbestos (no longer used)
Man-made — regenerated cellulosic
Viscose rayon, modal, lyocell (Tencel), acetate
Man-made — synthetic
Polyester, nylon, acrylic, spandex (elastane), olefin (polypropylene)
Inorganic
Glass, carbon, metallic fibres
Topic 2
Fibre properties and end use
Aesthetics
Lustre, hand (feel), drape, texture
Silk lustrous; linen crisp
Durability
Tenacity (strength), abrasion resistance, elongation
Nylon and polyester very strong
Comfort
Moisture regain (absorbency), wicking, warmth, elasticity
Cotton absorbent; wool warm; spandex stretchy
Safety
Flammability, melting
Synthetics melt; wool resists flame
Care
Shrinkage, wrinkle recovery, washability, heat sensitivity
Wool felts and shrinks; polyester wrinkle-resistant
- Moisture regain (approximate): wool 13–16%, viscose 11–13%, silk 11%, cotton 7–8.5%, nylon 4%, polyester 0.4%.
Topic 3
Natural fibres
Cotton
Seed hair; ribbon-like with convolutions; cellulose
Absorbent, comfortable, strong when wet, wrinkles, burns easily — shirts, denim, towels
Flax (linen)
Bast fibre from the stem; nodes like bamboo
Strong, lustrous, cool, wrinkles — summer wear, table linen
Jute
Bast fibre; India the largest producer
Coarse, strong, low cost, biodegradable — sacks, carpets backing, bags
Hemp
Bast fibre
Strong, durable — ropes, eco-textiles
Silk
Continuous protein filament (fibroin) from silkworm cocoons
Lustrous, smooth, strong, drapes well — sarees; varieties mulberry, tasar, eri, muga
Wool
Protein (keratin) hair of sheep; scales and crimp
Warm, resilient, absorbent, felts — sweaters, suiting, shawls
Topic 4
Man-made cellulosic fibres
Viscose rayon
Wood pulp dissolved (xanthate process) and regenerated
Soft, absorbent, drapes well; weak when wet
Acetate
Cellulose acetylated — modified cellulose
Lustrous, silk-like; heat-sensitive — linings
Lyocell (Tencel)
Direct solvent (NMMO) in a closed loop
Strong (also wet), soft, eco-friendlier
Modal
Modified viscose
Soft, higher wet strength — innerwear
Topic 5
Man-made synthetic fibres
Polyester
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
Strong, wrinkle-resistant, quick-drying, low absorbency, pills — shirting blends, sportswear
Nylon (polyamide)
Nylon 6 and 6,6
Very strong, elastic, abrasion-resistant — hosiery, ropes, activewear
Acrylic
Polyacrylonitrile
Wool-like, warm, light — sweaters, blankets
Spandex (elastane, Lycra)
Segmented polyurethane
Stretches 500–700% and recovers — activewear, waistbands
Olefin (polypropylene)
Polypropylene
Very light, low absorbency, wicks — carpets, non-wovens, thermals
- Spinning methods for man-made fibres: melt spinning (polyester, nylon, olefin), wet spinning (viscose, acrylic), dry spinning (acetate, spandex).
Topic 6
Latest fibres
- Microfibres
- Finer than 1 denier — soft, luxurious
- Bamboo viscose and milk, soybean and banana fibres
- Novel cellulosic and protein sources
- Recycled polyester (rPET)
- From plastic bottles
- Bio-based fibres
- PLA (corn)
- High-performance fibres
- Aramids (Kevlar, Nomex) — bullet-proof and flame-resistant; carbon fibre; UHMWPE
- Smart fibres
- Phase-change, conductive and antimicrobial fibres
Key terms
- Staple fibre
- Short fibre measured in centimetres
- Filament
- Continuous long fibre such as silk
- Moisture regain
- Water absorbed by a fibre as a percentage of dry weight
- Regenerated fibre
- Man-made fibre from natural polymers like cellulose
- Elastane
- Highly elastic synthetic fibre
Quick revision
- Natural cellulosic, protein; man-made regenerated and synthetic; inorganic.
- Aesthetics, durability, comfort, safety, care; moisture regain values.
- Cotton, flax, jute, hemp, silk varieties, wool.
- Viscose, acetate, lyocell, modal.
- Polyester, nylon, acrylic, spandex, olefin; melt, wet, dry spinning; new fibres.
Important exam questions
Practice questions written to the PTU exam pattern for this unit's syllabus: short answers (Section A style) and long answers (Sections B and C style).
Short-answer questions
- Q1.Classify textile fibres.
- Q2.Why is cotton comfortable in summer?
- Q3.Name the four varieties of Indian silk.
- Q4.How is lyocell more eco-friendly than viscose?
- Q5.Which fibre is used for stretch fabrics?
- Q6.What are microfibres?
Long-answer questions
- Q1.Classify textile fibres with examples.
- Q2.Explain fibre properties affecting performance.
- Q3.Describe natural fibres and their uses.
- Q4.Compare man-made cellulosic and synthetic fibres.
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