Textile Raw Materials-II

1. What is understood by Textiles?

– The word 'textile' is from Latin, from the adjective textilis, meaning 'woven', the past
participle of the verb French word  texere, 'to weave.
The word Textile when used as a noun means anything woven or suitable for weaving.
Any fabric or product manufactured from fabrics, filament or yarns, natural or artificial –
by means of interlacing, interlooping, felting or stitching the fibre web, for example,
thread ropes, knitted fabrics, etc. Hence this is a very comprehensive term that includes
all clothing, carpets, curtains, tapes, upholstery, etc.
The word Textile when used as an adjective, means manufacture of raw materials,
processing machinery, buildings, personnel used in the organization connected with the
technology of their manufacture, which includes the following: Textile Mill, Textile
Institute, Textile Engineer, Textile Research, Textile Printing, Textile Designer, Textile
Technologist, etc.
2. What are Fiber & Textile Fiber?
Fiber is one of the delicates, hair-like portion of the tissues of a plant or animal.
The basic entity, a unit of matter characterized by having a length of at least hundred
times its diameter, either natural or manufactured, which is twisted into yarns, and then
used in the production of a fabric, is called textile fiber.

3. Give the classifications of Textile fibers.

Mainly two types:
A. Natural fiber: Fibers which grow or develop and come from natural resources like
plant and animals.
B. Manufactured (or man-made) fibers: Fibers produced by industrial processes, whether
from natural polymers transformed upon the action of chemical reagents or through
polymers obtained by chemical synthesis (synthetic fibers).

Textile fibers
Natural fiber Manufactured fiber (Manmade fiber)
Vegetable fiber Animal Mineral Regenerated Synthetic Inorganic
1.Leaf fiber- fiber: fiber: Fiber: fiber: fiber:
sisal, pineapple Viscose, Polyester, Glass fiber,
etc. Silk, Asbestos modal, nylon, acrylic, carbon
2.Seed fiber- wool, cupro, modacrylic, fiber etc
cotton vicuna etc lyocell, etc polyurethane,
3. Bast fiber- Polypropylen
flax, jute, e
hemp, ramie etc.
etc
4. fruit fibers:
coir
 Textile Raw Materials-II

4. Enlist the basic characteristics of Textile fibers.

1. Length 2. Strength 3. Slenderness ratio 4. Flexibility 5. Cohesiveness 6. Fineness

7. Durability 8. Luster 9. Porosity 10. Resilience11. Commercial availability

5. Define hydrophilic and hydrophobic fibers.

-Hydrophilic fibres are characterized by the presence of hydrophilic group which attract
water. For example, all the natural fibres have groups in their molecules which attract
water.

-Hydrophobic fibres are those which do not readily absorb moisture. Absence of water
attracting groups accounts for their low moisture absorption. It is difficult to dye and
bleach. Another disadvantage is that they develop static electricity.

6. What are the merits and demerits of natural and man-made fibers?
--Advantages of natural fiber: 1. Available in nature 2. Easy to dye 3.Provide body
comfort
---Disadvantages: 1. Poor strength 2. Poor resiliency 3. Limited fiber length 4. High price

---Advantages of man-made fibers: 1. Desired length and fineness 2. High lusture 3. Easy
care fiber 4. High strength 5. Resistance to insects 6. Easy to dry 7. Durable

----Disadvantages: 1. Discomfort 2. Skin allergy

7. What are staple fiber, filament, yarn and thread?

----Average spinnable fiber of having limited length in the range of 0.5 inch to 18 inch is
called staple fiber.
----A fiber of continuous length in range of few meters to kilometers, suitable for using
directly in manufacturing of fabric, is called filament.
----Yarn is an assembly of fibers twisted or laid together to form continuous strand
suitable for the manufacture of fabric and other finished textile product.
-----When two or three single yarns are plied together then it is called thread or sewing
thread.