Polymer Process Industries

PPE-202
Dr. Farhan Saeed
Natural Fiber Production
 Natural fibers are derived from either plants or
animals.
 Cotton is the worlds’ leading textile fiber,

comprising about 41 percent of world fiber

production.
 Flax is the base component of linen, which makes

up less than 1 percent of the world fiber production.

 Ramie is a vegetable fiber stronger than flax, often

combined with cotton to soften it.

 Wool fiber is a renewable source from animals,

representing 2 percent of world fiber production.

Natural Fiber Production
 Silk, associated with the finest garments
accounts for .2 percent of world fiber
production.
 All natural fibers except silk are short staple

lengths.
 Silk is a long filament.
Man-made Fibers
 Rayon, or viscose, was patented in 1884.
 Synthetics denotes all chemically produced

fibers.
 All man-made fibers start as long filaments
 Production takes place in large chemical

companies who leverage mass production

techniques.
 Over 50% of world fiber production is man

made now, as compared to 22% in 1960.

Man-made Fibers
 Regenerated cellulose fibers are derived
principally from wood pulp.
◦ Rayon, the first man-made fiber is composed of
regenerated cellulose.
◦ Lycoell is a new solvent spun cellulosic fiber
produced, like rayon, from wood pulp.
◦ Acetate and triacetate are alternatives to rayon.
Man-made Fibers
 Synthetic fibers are made from derivatives of
petroleum, coal, and natural gas.
◦ Nylon, polyester and acrylic are long chain
polymers.
◦ Spandex, can stretch 300 to 400 percent without
breaking and return to its original length.
◦ Polypropylene is an olefin made from polymers and
can be used for moisture transport in high tech
active wear garments.
Textile Yarn and Fiber Producers
 Approximately 4,600 apparel related textile
plants employ 432,000 people domestically.
 Textile mills produce yarns and fabrics.
 Converters do only the finishing stages of

production.
 First commercial production
 1910 — Rayon   1941 — Saran 
 1959 — Spandex  1924 — Acetate  
 1946 — Metallic  1961 —Aramid 
 1930 — Rubber   1949 — Modacylic 
 1983 — PBI  1936 — Glass  
 1949 — Olefin  1983 — Sulfar 
 1939 — Nylon   1950 — Acrylic
 1992 — Lyocell  1939 — Vinyon  

1953 — Polyester 
Polyamide fiber:
 Nylon was the first polyamide ever made.
 Produced from the polymerization reaction of adipic acid
and hexamethylene diamine.
 It is a homopolymer of caprolactum.
 Kevlar is also a polyamide but it is aromatic in nature.
 Polymerization reaction of nylon
 Polyamide Fiber:
 After the polymerization
reaction is complete the
molten product is extruded
in the form of long
stretchable fibers.

 Water is sprayed on it and

it is cooled and hardened.

 Ribbons are then cut into

flakes and small chips.
 Filaments are then cooled by air and
 Then spun and given the are then stretched to mold them in to
form of final fiber.
their final properties.

 The extent of stretching depend upon

the range of mechanical properties
required.
Flow Sheet of Nylon
Nylon 6,6
Melt Spinning
Characteristics:
 Variation of luster: Nylon has the ability to be very lusterous,
semilusterous or dull.
 Durability: its high tenacity fibers are used for seatbelts, tire cords, and
other uses.
 High elongation
 Excellent abrasion resistance
 Highly resilient (nylon fabrics are heat-set)
 High resistance to:
◦ insects, fungi, molds and animals
◦ many chemicals
Cont’d
 Used in carpets and nylon stockings
 Melts instead of burning
 Used in many military applications

 The most important feature of polyamides is that it

has 80-90% more wet strength than its dry strength.