Textile fibres or textile fibers (see spelling differences) can be created from many natural sources (animal hair or fur, cocoons as with silk worm cocoons), as well as semisynthetic methods that use naturally occurring polymers, and synthetic methods that use polymer-based materials, and even minerals such as metals to make foils and wires. The consumer protection laws requires that fibre content be provided on content labels. Common textile fibres used in global fashion today include: [1] [2] [3] [4]
| Fibre | Source | Attribute |
|---|---|---|
| Alpaca | Alpaca | Soft, warmth, lightweight |
| Angora wool | Angora rabbit | Softness, blends well with other fibres |
| Azlon | Synthetic | Soft, silky, hygroscopic, also known as Aralac |
| Byssus | Pinna nobilis | Warmth, lightweight |
| Camel hair | Arabian ña / Guanaco / South America camelid varieties | Softness, warmth |
| Cashmere wool | Indian cashmere goat | Softness |
| Chiengora | Dog | Fluffy, lightweight |
| Lambswool | Sheep | Softness, elasticity, warmth |
| Llama | Llama | Lightweight, insulating |
| Mohair wool | Angora goat | Dyes well, lightweight |
| Qiviut | Muskoxen | Softness, warmth |
| Rabbit | Rabbits | Softness |
| Silk | Silk worm (Bombyx mori) | Smooth, strong fabric finish with high shine |
| Eri silk | Silk worm (Samia cynthia) | Smooth, strong fabric finish with high shine |
| Spider silk | Golden Orb-weaver Spider (Nephila inaurata madagascariensis); transgenic silk worm; transgenic yeast | Ultra-strong, golden, smooth fabric finish with high shine |
| Vicuña | Vicuña | Expensive, luxurious, soft |
| Wool | Sheep | Warmth |
| Yak fiber | Wild Yak | Heavy, warmth |
| Fibre | Source | Attribute |
|---|---|---|
| Abacá | Abaca plant | Thin, lightweight |
| Acetate | Wood Pulp | Lustrous, thermoplastic |
| Bamboo | Grass pulp | Lightweight, pliable fibre |
| Banana | Banana plant pseudostem/leaves | Warm, thick, durable |
| Kapok | Pentandra tree | Fluffy, soft and lightweight |
| Coir | Coconut | Strength, durability |
| Cotton | Shrub | Lightweight, absorbent |
| Flax | Herbaceous plant | Lightweight, absorbent, used to make linen |
| Hemp | Cannabis | Strength, durability |
| Jute | Vegetable plant in linden family | Strength, durability |
| Kenaf | Hibiscus cannabinus | Rough |
| Lyocell | Eucalyptus Tree | Soft, lightweight, absorbent |
| Modal | Beech tree | Softness, lightweight |
| Piña | Pineapple leaf | Soft, lightweight |
| Raffia | Raffia palm | Carpet/rough |
| Ramie | Flowering plant in nettle family | Heavy, tough |
| Rayon | Wood Pulp | Soft, lightweight, absorbent |
| Sisal | Agave sisalana | Strength, durability |
| Soy protein | Tofu-manufacturing waste | Wooly, lightweight |
Other plant-based fibers:
| Fibre | Source | Attribute |
|---|---|---|
| Asbestos Cloth | asbestos | Fire-resistance, light weight, carcinogenic |
| Glass, Fibreglass | Mixed silicates | Fire-resistance, futuristic appearance in some Foil, fibres, wire |
| Fibre | Source | Attribute |
|---|---|---|
| Acrylic | Petroleum Products | Lightweight, warm, dries quickly |
| Kevlar | Aramids | Very strong |
| Modacrylic | Petroleum Products | Lightweight, warm, dries quickly |
| Nomex | Aramids | Chemical, electrical, and flame resistant |
| Nylon | Petroleum Products | Durable, strong, lightweight, dries quickly |
| Polyester | Petroleum Products | Durable, strong, lightweight, dries quickly |
| Spandex | Petroleum Products | Elastic, strong, lightweight |
| Rayon | Regenerated cellulose | Weak when wet |
Nylon is a family of synthetic polymers with amide backbones, usually linking aliphatic or semi-aromatic groups.
Spinning is a twisting technique to form yarn from fibers. The fiber intended is drawn out, twisted, and wound onto a bobbin. A few popular fibers that are spun into yarn other than cotton, which is the most popular, are viscose, animal fibers such as wool, and synthetic polyester. Originally done by hand using a spindle whorl, starting in the 500s AD the spinning wheel became the predominant spinning tool across Asia and Europe. The spinning jenny and spinning mule, invented in the late 1700s, made mechanical spinning far more efficient than spinning by hand, and especially made cotton manufacturing one of the most important industries of the Industrial Revolution.
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity (sericulture). The shimmering appearance of silk is due to the triangular prism-like structure of the silk fibre, which allows silk cloth to refract incoming light at different angles, thus producing different colors.
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the only manufacturing method, and many other methods were later developed to form textile structures based on their intended use. Knitting and non-woven are other popular types of fabric manufacturing. In the contemporary world, textiles satisfy the material needs for versatile applications, from simple daily clothing to bulletproof jackets, spacesuits, and doctor's gowns.
Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, used in sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, ropemaking, and the production of textiles. Thread is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern manufactured sewing threads may be finished with wax or other lubricants to withstand the stresses involved in sewing. Embroidery threads are yarns specifically designed for needlework. Yarn can be made of a number of natural or synthetic materials, and comes in a variety of colors and thicknesses. Although yarn may be dyed different colours, most yarns are solid coloured with a uniform hue.
Fiber or fibre is a natural or artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often incorporate fibers, for example carbon fiber and ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene.
Rayon, also called viscose and commercialised in some countries as sabra silk or cactus silk, is a semi-synthetic fiber, made from natural sources of regenerated cellulose, such as wood and related agricultural products. It has the same molecular structure as cellulose. Many types and grades of viscose fibers and films exist. Some imitate the feel and texture of natural fibers such as silk, wool, cotton, and linen. The types that resemble silk are often called artificial silk. It is used to make textiles for clothing and other purposes.
Pulp is a lignocellulosic fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically separating cellulose fibers from wood, fiber crops, waste paper, or rags. Mixed with water and other chemical or plant-based additives, pulp is the major raw material used in papermaking and the industrial production of other paper products.
Synthetic fibers or synthetic fibres are fibers made by humans through chemical synthesis, as opposed to natural fibers that are directly derived from living organisms, such as plants or fur from animals. They are the result of extensive research by scientists to replicate naturally occurring animal and plant fibers. In general, synthetic fibers are created by extruding fiber-forming materials through spinnerets, forming a fiber. These are called synthetic or artificial fibers. The word polymer comes from a Greek prefix "poly" which means "many" and suffix "mer" which means "single units"..
Polyethylene terephthalate (or poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P), is the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in fibres for clothing, containers for liquids and foods, and thermoforming for manufacturing, and in combination with glass fibre for engineering resins.
Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is a synthetic, semicrystalline organic polymer resin, with the linear formula (CH2CHCN)n. Almost all PAN resins are copolymers with acrylonitrile as the main monomer. PAN is used to produce large variety of products including ultra filtration membranes, hollow fibers for reverse osmosis, fibers for textiles, and oxidized PAN fibers. PAN fibers are the chemical precursor of very high-quality carbon fiber. PAN is first thermally oxidized in air at 230 °C to form an oxidized PAN fiber and then carbonized above 1000 °C in inert atmosphere to make carbon fibers found in a variety of both high-tech and common daily applications such as civil and military aircraft primary and secondary structures, missiles, solid propellant rocket motors, pressure vessels, fishing rods, tennis rackets and bicycle frames. It is a component repeat unit in several important copolymers, such as styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic.
Fibre-reinforced plastic is a composite material made of a polymer matrix reinforced with fibres. The fibres are usually glass, carbon, aramid, or basalt. Rarely, other fibres such as paper, wood, boron, or asbestos have been used. The polymer is usually an epoxy, vinyl ester, or polyester thermosetting plastic, though phenol formaldehyde resins are still in use.
Dyeing is the application of dyes or pigments on textile materials such as fibers, yarns, and fabrics with the goal of achieving color with desired color fastness. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular chemical material. Dye molecules are fixed to the fiber by absorption, diffusion, or bonding with temperature and time being key controlling factors. The bond between the dye molecule and fiber may be strong or weak, depending on the dye used. Dyeing and printing are different applications; in printing, color is applied to a localized area with desired patterns. In dyeing, it is applied to the entire textile.
Basalt fibers are produced from basalt rocks by melting them and converting the melt into fibers. Basalts are rocks of igneous origin. The main energy consumption for the preparation of basalt raw materials to produce of fibers is made in natural conditions. Basalt continuous, staple and super-thin fibers are produced and used. Basalt continuous fibers (BCF) are used for the production of reinforcing materials and composite products, fabrics and non-woven materials. Basalt staple fibers - for the production of thermal insulation materials. Basalt superthin fibers (BSTF) - for the production of high quality heat and sound insulating and fireproof materials.
Natural fibers or natural fibres are fibers that are produced by geological processes, or from the bodies of plants or animals. They can be used as a component of composite materials, where the orientation of fibers impacts the properties. Natural fibers can also be matted into sheets to make paper or felt.
Textile recycling is the process of recovering fiber, yarn, or fabric and reprocessing the material into new, useful products. Textile waste is split into pre-consumer and post-consumer waste and is sorted into five different categories derived from a pyramid model. Textiles can be either reused or mechanically/chemically recycled.
Bamboo textile is any cloth, yarn or clothing made from bamboo fibres. While historically used only for structural elements, such as bustles and the ribs of corsets, in recent years different technologies have been developed that allow bamboo fibre to be used for a wide range of textile and fashion applications.
In textile manufacturing, finishing refers to the processes that convert the woven or knitted cloth into a usable material and more specifically to any process performed after dyeing the yarn or fabric to improve the look, performance, or "hand" (feel) of the finish textile or clothing. The precise meaning depends on context.
Cellulose fibers are fibers made with ethers or esters of cellulose, which can be obtained from the bark, wood or leaves of plants, or from other plant-based material. In addition to cellulose, the fibers may also contain hemicellulose and lignin, with different percentages of these components altering the mechanical properties of the fibers.
Devoré is a fabric technique particularly used on velvets, where a mixed-fibre material undergoes a chemical process to dissolve the cellulose fibers to create a semi-transparent pattern against more solidly woven fabric. The same technique can also be applied to textiles other than velvet, such as lace or the fabrics in burnout t-shirts.
