Properties of textile fibers



There are three types of textile fibers. Such as:-
1.      Physical properties
2.      Chemical properties and
3.      Thermal properties.
1 ) physical properties:
        i.            Length: it depends upon the types of fibers. It is fine in case of man-made fiber but varies largely in case of natural fibers. The length are measured in three ways – average length, effective length and staple length. Staple length (<2”), medium length (2-4”) and long length (>4”). Length affected some fiber properties such as – strength, processing, appearance etc.
      ii.            Strength: the capability of a fiber to support a load is known as its strength. In case of a fiber, the strength is described as tenacity.
Tenacity=strength/linear density.
It is expressed in terms of CN/Tex or N/Tex

    iii.            Flexibility:flexibility is that property to resist repeated bending and folding.
    iv.            Cohesiveness: it is the ability of the fiber to cling together during spinning depends on crimp and twist.
      v.            Fineness: the term fineness describes the quality of a fiber. It is expressed by the terms count, tex, denier, tex per unit length etc. Fineness affects some fiber properties such as yarn count, yarn strength yarn regularity etc.
    vi.            Cross-sectional: the cross section of a fiber determines the physical properties of the fiber. It gives idea about strength, fineness that varies from fiber to fiber. The coss-section shape of a fiber is important because it contributes to the surface appearance of luster, bulk and body of the fibers, yarn and fabrics. It has effect in twisting, bending or shunning.
  vii.            Crimp: it refers to the waves or bends that take place along the length of a fiber. It increases cohesiveness resilience resistance to abrasion and increased bulk or warmth to fabric. It also helps fabric to maintain their softness or thickness, increase absorbency and show contact comforts bid reduces lusture. A fiber may have one of the three types of crimp. Namely-mechanical crimp, natural crimp or inherent crimp and chemical crimp.
viii.            Elasticity: it is the power of recovery from deformation. The fiber may be plastic or elastic which depends upon fiber condition and surrounding environment.
    ix.            Resiliency: it is the property of fiber, which enables it to recover from a certain load or stretch over a period of time.
      x.            Toughness: the ability of a fiber to endure large permanent deformations without rupture is called toughness.
    xi.            Work of rupture: the area below the stress-strain curves provides a measure of the work required to break the fiber. It is called work of rupture and it commonly express in CN/tex.
  xii.            Appearance: it is expressed by length, fineness, cross-section, cleanness and lusture of a fabric. Generally short fibers are bulky and loss lusturous.
xiii.            Density: the density indicates the mass per unit volume. The specific gravity of a fiber indicates the density relative to that of water at 4℃.
xiv.            Elongation: it is the ability to be stretched, extended or lengthened. Elongation vary at different temperatures and when wet or dry.
2 ) chemical properties:
        i.            Water: water is very important to determine the properties of fiber. According to the behavior of fibers with water, fibers are classified into two group –hydrophobic and hydrophilic. Water is used in process like scouring, dyeing etc.
      ii.            It is the ability of fiber to take up moisture and is expressed in therms of moisture regain. It depend upon the polarity of the polymers and the ratio of its amorphous and crystalline region.
    iii.            Acid: textile fiber and materials are subjected to acids in various process like bleaching. The different kinds of fibers react different with acids. The acid must be chosen properly to use different process so that it doesn’t make any harm to the fiber but brings the required changes perfectly.
    iv.            Alkali: different kinds of fibers behave differently with different alkalis in different situations. Fr example caustic sida in dilute solution and law temperature dissolved the wool fibers, when as mild alkalis have no injurious effect on wool at ordinary concentration. It is used to many presses as dyeing. Sizing and finishing.
      v.            Heat: textile fiber are subjected to heat in dyeing, drying, steaming, calendaring, pressuring and other operations. Some fibers become tough under heat suct as rayon, resin, where as some burn under heat such as flax, cotton, jute etc.

3 ) thermal properties:
        i.            Amorphousness: amorphous orientation of polymers within the polymer system of any fiber is called amorphous region. In amorphous regions, the polypers are oriented or aligned at random.
      ii.            Crystallinity: crystallinity orientation of polymers within the polymer system of any fiber is called the crystalline region. In crystalline regions the polymers are oriented or aligned longitudinally into more or less parallel order. It is in the crystalline areas that hydrogen bonding and vandar-wals force occur.
    iii.            Flammability: it is the ability to ignite and burn.
    iv.            Dye ability: it is the ability of fibers to be dyed.