Fiber Properties and Characteristics

Materials of Decoration

Synthetic Fibers

• Olefin fibers:
  • Strong, lightweight, and resistant to mildew, rot, moths, and vermin
  • Has excellent elastic recovery
  • Used in airplane seats
• Polyester:
  • Discovered in 1953
  • Derivative of coal, air, water, and petroleum
  • Resistant to air-borne and oil-borne dirt, low moisture absorbency, wrinkle resistance, high strength, and resiliency
  • Washable and drip-dry, with excellent crease resistance
  • Frequently blended with other fibers to enhance their performance
  • Used in hospital cubicle curtains
• Glass Fiber:
  • Inherently resistant to flame
  • Strong and does not absorb moisture
  • Low abrasion resistance
  • Can be dyed well
  • Best used as drapery or casement cloth
• Polynude Nylon:
  • Chemical fiber with similar make-up to nylon
  • Outperforms existing synthetics in washability, wrinkle resistance, and ease of care
  • Does not shrink
  • Resembles silk in luster, weight, color, and feel
• Saran:
  • Used for outdoor furniture upholstery and screening
  • Unaffected by sunlight, easy to care, wrinkle resistant, and abrasion resistant
  • High crease retention and dyeability
  • Usually blended with rayon and modacrylic
• Spandex:
  • Manufactured elastomeric fiber
  • Can be repeatedly stretched over 500% without breaking
  • Permits manufacturers to add stretch to fabrics without altering hand or appearance
  • Can be permanent pressed, soil-resistant, washable, and does not discolor
• Aramids:
  • Unique properties, unaffected by alkalis, acids, and solvents
  • Marketed under trade names Nomex and Kevlar
  • Nomex is a high temperature-resistant fiber used in apparel such as firefighters clothing and space suits
  • Kevlar is a high-temperature-resistant fiber used in bullet-resistant vests

Microfibers

• Very fine, smaller than the diameter of a strand of silk
• Made from polyesters and polyamides
• Used to make mats, knits, and weaves for apparel, upholstery, cleaning products, etc.
• Chosen for specific characteristics including softness, toughness, water repellency, electrostatics, and filtering capabilities

Methods of Fabric Formation

• Felting:
  • Matting together of fibers to form a web by moisture, pressure, and heat
  • Results in a continuous dense cloth that is firm, slightly fuzzy, and comparatively low in tensile strength
• Films:
  • Produced originally in sheet forms through extrusion
  • Can be finished in highly varied forms
• Knitting:
  • Utilizes machinery with blunt rods or needles to form a single continuous yarn into a series of interlocking loops
  • Sometimes faster than weaving and produces dimensionally stable knit fabrics

History of Knitting

• Early history of knitting dates back to ancient Egypt and Europe
• Knitting was perfected in the 15th century
• First knitting machine was constructed by Reverend William Lee

Knitting Stitches

• Plain Stitches:
  • Produce a smooth-face material
  • Used in making fine, thin, or sheer fabrics
• Rib Stitches:
  • Produce lines of wales on both sides of the fabric
  • Cause the fabric to be very elastic
• Tuck Stitches:
  • Formed by holding one loop on a needle while taking on one or more additional loops and then casting all of them onto another needle

Knit Fabric Construction

• Circular Knit:
  • Made on a circular machine
  • Produces a tubular fabric without seams
• Ribbed Fabric:
  • Made with two sets of needles to give a ribbed or corrugated surface to the fabric
• Flat Outerwear:
  • Fabric is made by having the needles arranged in a straight line
• Flat Underwear:
  • Fabric is made on a machine with only one set of needles

Types of Knitted Fabric

• Double Knit:
  • A fabric knitted with a double stitch on a double needle frame
  • Provides a double thickness that is the same on both sides
  • Has excellent body and stability
• Interlock Knit:
  • A special type of eight-lock knit cloth
  • Has a smooth surface on both sides
• Jersey:
  • A plain stitch knitted fabric
• Knit Pile:
  • Fabric produced by silver knitting
  • Provides an exceptionally deep pile effect
• Milanese Knit:
  • Known for its high gauge, lightweight, fine texture, and appeal in hand
  • Warps always move in the opposite direction with the full threading or color arrangement to produce a run-proof fabric
• Plated:
  • A knit fabric that has one kind of yarn on the face while another type is found on the back of the goods
• Rachel Knit:
  • A versatile fabric that can be made from every type of yarn of any type of fiber in any form
• Single Knit:
  • A fabric knitted on a single-needle machine
  • Has less body, substance, and stability than double knit
• Tricot:
  • A type of Warp-knitted fabric
  • Has a thin texture since it is made from fine yarn
• Velour:
  • A popular knit fabric with properties similar to woven velour

Braiding

• The interweaving or intertwining of three or more strands of yarn or other material
• Can produce flat, narrow tapes or strips as well as center-cored rounds or hollow tubes
• Suitable for shaped articles
• Notable examples include STRAWS, fabrics made by braiding natural plant fibers

Weaving

• Definition: The interlacing of warp (lengthwise) yarns and weft (crosswise) yarns, usually at right angles
• Six turning points can occur along a single thread, and different arrangements of these points create three general headings: Plain, Twill, and Satin
• Weaving can be regular or irregular

Types of Weaves

• Plain Weave:
  • When the warp and weft threads are balanced and evenly spaced
• Figured Weave:
  • Also known as a "brocade", this is the simplest of weaves that has two warps, one warp for the figures and a separate warp for the ground
• Damask Weave:
  • A figured weave in which the warp yarns are of one color and the weft yarns are of another color
• Satin Weave:
  • A weave in which the warp or weft yarns predominate on the face of the fabric
• Twill Weave:
  • Each warp yam passes over and then under the weft yarns
  • The sequence is started slightly higher (or lower) on each successive yarn
  • Resists soil, wrinkles less, and is more flexible and drapeable than plain weaves of similar quality
• Herringbone Weave:
  • A variation of the twill weave
• Pile Weaves:
  • Refers to fabrics that are woven in such a way as to create loops or piles that stand out from the surface of the fabric
• Velvet Pile:
  • Created by lifting the second set of warp yarns into a plain weave to create a solid back
  • Warping for the plain weave solid back, and set of warp form loop slightly higher than the backing weave
• Frise:
  • Combined with the velvet pile, except that the lifted yarns remain uncut
  • May be combined with the velvet pile to form a “corduroy” like effect

Tapestry

• Definition: A decorative fabric made by weaving colored weft threads alternatively over and under the warp threads to form a pictorial, or ornamental design
• History: Known since ancient times, with a rich history of development and refinement
• Technique: Weft does not pass from selvage to selvage but only as far as the color is required by the pattern
• Warps are eventually hidden
• Tapestries were woven on either a high-warp or a low-warp loom
• The high-warp loom stood upright and warps were manually controlled by harnessed attached to treadles
• The low-warp loom was placed horizontally
• Fineness: Judged by the number of wefts to the centimeter
• Illustrations: Diagrams of Interlocked joint, Slit juncture, and Dovetail joint### Fabric Finishes
• Fabrics are not ready for consumer use after weaving or knitting and require further processing to change their appearance, texture, and performance.

Classification of Finishes

• Finishes can be classified based on their duration, including:
  • Temporary Finish: lasts until the fabric is washed or dry-cleaned
  • Durable Finish: lasts longer than temporary but may become unsatisfactory with time
  • Permanent Finish: lasts until the garment is no longer in service
• Finishes can also be classified based on their purpose, including:
  • General Finish: affects the texture and appearance of the fabric
  • Special Finish: affects the performance of the fabric and imparts additional features

General Finishes

• Sanforizing: a process that makes fabric dimensionally stable, controlling shrinkage by passing the fabric through a hot water and steam chamber and stretching it in width and allowing it to relax in length.
• Bleaching: removes impurities and unwanted color from yarns or fabrics, using hydrogen peroxide for cotton and removing waxes and foreign matters for synthetics.
• Calendering: makes fabric smooth and glossy by passing it between heated and polished steel rollers under tension.
• Decating: a process that improves the appearance, handle, and hand of the material, including Wet Decating and Dry Decating.
• Mercerizing: improves the luster, strength, and absorbency of cotton yarn and fabrics by treating them with a concentrated solution of sodium hydroxide.
• Pilling: the formation of small, entangled, fiber balls on the fabric surface, which depends on the type of fiber, yarn structure, fabric construction, and finishing treatment.
• Shrinkage control: reduces or eliminates shrinkage in woven and knitted fabrics using methods such as relaxation, heat setting, and chemical treatments.

Special Finishes

• Anti-Shrink Finish: a chemical treatment that makes a fabric "shrink-resistant" and imparts a self-sanitizing quality.
• Antistatic Finish: a chemical treatment that prevents the accumulation of static electricity on synthetic fabrics.
• Crease-Resistant Finish: makes fabrics easier to iron and keeps them looking pressed by applying a resin bath that forms a protective layer on the fibers.
• Flame-Retardant Finish: makes fabrics less flammable by treating them with a chemical solution containing phosphorus or nitrogen.
• Glazed Finish: creates a smooth and shiny surface by passing the fabric through heated rollers.
• Mildew-Resistant Finish: prevents the growth of mold and mildew by treating the fabric with a chemical solution containing copper or zinc.
• Permanent-Press Finish: makes fabrics wrinkle-resistant and easier to care for by treating them with a chemical solution containing formaldehyde.
• Soil-Release Finish: makes fabrics easier to clean by treating them with a chemical solution containing silicone or fluorocarbon.
• Water-Repellent Finish: makes fabrics repel water by treating them with a chemical solution containing a long-chain hydrocarbon.