Man Made Fiber:
A class name for various fibers (including filaments) synthetically produced from fiber-
forming substances which usually refer to all chemically produced fibers to distinguish
them from truly natural fibers such as cotton, wool, silk, flax, etc.
There are some man made fibers names given:
1. Acetate Fiber
2. Nylon fiber
3. Polyester fiber
4. Ceramic fiber
5. Carbon fiber
6. Spandex fiber
7. Viscose rayon fiber
8. Glass fiber
9. Silicon carbide fiber
10. Stainless steel fiber
11. Acrylic fiber
12. Modacrylic fiber
Nylon Fiber:
Nylon is a synthetic polymer, a plastic, invented on February 28, 1935 by Wallace
Carothers at the E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company of Wilmington, Delaware, USA.
The material was announced in 1938 and the first nylon products; a nylon bristle
toothbrush made with nylon yarn (went on sale on February 24, 1938) and more
famously, women's stockings (went on sale on May 15, 1940). Nylon fibres are now used
to make many synthetic fabrics, and solid nylon is used as an engineering material.
Chemically, nylon is a condensation polymer made of repeating units
with amide linkages between them: hence it is frequently referred to as a polyamide. It
was the first synthetic fibre to be made entirely from inorganic ingredients: coal, water
and air. These are formed into two intermediate
chemicals, most commonly hexamethylene
diamine and adipic acid (a dicarboxylic acid),
which are then mixed to polymerise. The most
common variant is nylon 6,6, also called nylon
66, which refers to the fact that both the
diamine and the diacid have 6 carbon
backbones. The diacid and diamine units
alternate in the polymer chain. Therefore,
unlike natural polyamides like proteins, the
direction of the amide bond reverses at each bond.
Acrylic Fiber:
Acrylic fibers are synthetic fibers made from a polymer (polyacrylonitrile) with an
average molecular weight of ~100,000, about 1900 monomer units. To be called acrylic
in the U.S, the polymer must contain at least 85% acrylonitrile monomer. Typical
comonomers are vinyl acetate or methyl acrylate. The Dupont Corporation created the
first acrylic fibers in 1941 and trademarked them under the name "Orlon".
Acrylic is lightweight, soft, and warm, with a wool-like feel. Acrylic is colored before it
is turned into a fiber as it does not dye very well but has excellent colorfastness. Its fibers
are not very resilient, and wrinkle easily, but most acrylic fabrics have good wrinkle
resistance. Acrylic has recently been used in
clothing as a less expensive alternative to cashmere,
due to the similar feeling of the materials. The
disadvantages of acrylic are that it tends to fuzz
or pill easily and that it does not insulate the wearer
as well as wool or cashmere. Many products, like
fake pashmina or cashmina, use this fiber to create
the illusion of cashmere.
Acrylic is resistant to moths, oils, chemicals, and is very resistant to deterioration from
sunlight exposure. However, static and pilling can be a problem.
Acrylic has a bad reputation amongst many crafters who knit or crochet; acrylic yarn may
be perceived as "cheap" because it is typically priced lower than its natural counterparts.
The fiber requires heat to "block" or set the shape of the finished garment, and it isn't as
warm as alternatives like wool. Some knitters also complain that the fiber "squeaks"
when knitted. On the other hand, it can be useful in certain items, like garments for
babies, which require constant washing, because it is machine-washable.
Silicon Carbide Fiber:
Silicon carbide (SiC), also known as carborundum, is
a compound of silicon and carbon with chemical formula SiC. It occurs in nature as the
extremely rare mineral moissanite. Silicon carbide powder has been mass-produced since
1893 for use as an abrasive. Grains of silicon carbide can be bonded together
by sintering to form very hard ceramics which are widely used in applications requiring
high endurance, such as car brakes, car clutches andceramic plates in bulletproof vests.
Electronic applications of silicon carbide as light emitting diodes and detectors in early
radios were first demonstrated around 1907, and nowadays SiC is widely used in high-
temperature/high-voltage semiconductor electronics. Large single crystals of silicon
carbide can be grown by the Lely method; they can be cut into gems known as "synthetic
moissanite". Silicon carbide with high surface area can be produced from SiO 2contained
in plant material.
Due to the rarity of natural moissanite, silicon carbide is typically man-made. Most often
it is used as an abrasive, and more recently as a semiconductor anddiamond simulant of
gem quality. The simplest manufacturing process is to combine silica sand and carbon in
an Acheson graphite electric resistance furnace at a high
temperature, between 1600 and 2500 °C. Fine SiO 2 particles in
plant material (e.g. rice husks) can be converted to SiC by
heating in the excess carbon from the organic material.
Carbon Fiber:
Carbon fiber is a polymer which is a form of graphite. Graphite is a form of pure carbon.
In graphite the carbon atoms are arranged into big sheets of hexagonal aromatic rings.
The sheets look like chicken wire.
Carbon fiber is a form of graphite in which these sheets are long and thin. You might
think of them as ribbons of graphite. Bunches of these ribbons like to pack together to
form fibers, hence the name carbon fiber.
These fibers aren't used by themselves. Instead, they're used to reinforce materials
like epoxy resins and other thermosetting materials. We call these reinforced
materials composites because they have more than one component.
Figure 1 bag made by acetate fiber
Polyester Fiber:
Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their
main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific
material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyesters include
naturally-occurring chemicals, such as in the cutin of plant cuticles, as well as synthetics
through step-growth polymerization such as polycarbonate and polybutyrate. Natural
polyesters and a few synthetic ones are biodegradable, but most synthetic polyesters are
not.
Depending on the chemical structure polyester can be a thermoplastic or thermoset,
however the most common polyesters are thermoplastics.
Fabrics woven from polyester thread or yarn are used extensively in apparel and home
furnishings, from shirts and pants to jackets and hats, bed sheets, blankets and
upholstered furniture. Industrial polyester fibers, yarns and ropes are used in tyre
reinforcements, fabrics for conveyor belts, safety belts, coated fabrics and plastic
reinforcements with high-energy absorption. Polyester fiber is used as cushioning and
insulating material in pillows, comforters and upholstery padding.
Modacrylic Fiber:
A modacrylic is a synthetic copolymer. Modacrylics are soft, strong, resilient, and
dimensionally stable. They can be easily dyed, show good press and shape retention, and
are quick to dry. They have outstanding resistance to chemicals and solvents, are not
attacked by moths or mildew, and are nonallergenic. Among their uses are in
apparel linings, furlike outerwear, paint-roller covers, scatter rugs, carpets, and work
clothing and as hair in wigs.
Commercial production of modacrylic fiber began in 1949 by Union Carbide
Corporation in the United States . Modacrylic and acrylic fibers are similar in
composition and at one time were in the same category. In 1960 the Federal Trade
Commission decided to separate the two fibers and establish a category for each.
Spandex Fiber:
Spandex, Lycra or elastan
e is a synthetic
fibre known for its
exceptional elasticity. It is
stronger and more
durable than rubber, its
major non-synthetic
competitor. It is
apolyurethane-
polyurea copolymer that
was invented in 1959 by
chemist Joseph
Shivers at DuPont's Benger Laboratory in Waynesboro, Virginia. When first introduced,
it revolutionized many areas of the clothing industry.
The name "Spandex" is an anagram of the word "expands".It is the preferred name
in North America; in many European countries it is referred to as "elastane". Brand
names associated with Spandex include Lycra (made by Invista, previously a part of
DuPont), Elaspan (also Invista's), Creora (Hyosung), ROICA and Dorlastan (Asahi
Kasei), Linel (Fillattice), and ESPA (Toyobo).
Major spandex fiber uses: Athletic, aerobic, and exercise apparel, wetsuits,
swimsuits/bathing suits, competitive swimwear, netball bodysuits, bra straps and side
panels ,glove .ski pants.
Glass Fiber:
Glass-reinforced plastic (GRP), also known as glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP), is
a fiber reinforced polymer made of a plastic matrix reinforced by fine fibers made
of glass. It is also known as GFK (for Glasfaserverstärkter Kunststoff), or simply by the
name of the reinforcing fibers themselves: fiberglass.
An individual structural glass fiber is both stiff and
strong in tension and compression—that is, along its axis. Although it might be assumed
that the fiber is weak in compression, it is actually only the long aspect ratio of the fiber
which makes it seem so; i.e., because a typical fiber is long and narrow, it buckles easily.
On the other hand, the glass fiber is unstiff and unstrong in shear—that is, across its axis.
Therefore if a collection of fibers can be arranged permanently in a preferred direction
within a material, and if the fibers can be prevented from buckling in compression, then
that material will become preferentially strong in that direction.
Acetate Fiber:
ACETATE is not a strong fiber but can be extruded into fibers of different diameter and
woven into fabrics that have the luxurious look of silk but do not wear like silk. Acetate
does not absorb moisture readily but dries fast and resists shrinking. This is a resilient
fabric that resists wrinkling in addition to being pliable and soft with a good drape.
Triacetate is an improved acetate fabric which doesn’t melt as easier and is easier to care
for. Remember, acetate in nail polish and nail polish remover will melt acetate as will
alcohol so take care with perfumes and nail products including SuperGlue.
Acetate and triacetate are mistakenly referred to as the same fiber; although they are
similar, their chemical compounds differ. Triacetate is known as a generic description or
primary acetate containing no hydroxyl group. Acetate fiber is known as modified or
secondary acetate having two or more hydroxyl groups. Triacetate fibers, although no
longer produced in the United States, contain a higher ratio of acetate-to-cellulose than do
acetate fibers.
Viscose Rayon Fiber:
RAYON, from cellulose, has many of the qualities of cotton, a natural cellulose fiber.
Rayon is strong, extremely absorbent, comes in a variety of qualities and weights, and
can be made to resemble natural fabrics. Rayon does not melt but burns at high
temperatures.
Rayon drapes well, has a soft, silky hand, and has a smooth, napped, or bulky surface.
Rayon will wrinkle easily and may stretch when wet and shrink when washed.
Technological advancemnts to the rayon process have produced high wet modulus
[HWM] rayons such as lyocell and modal which makes fabric less prone to stretch when
damp or wet.
Washable rayon will state the care on the fabric label. Like silk, if you pre-wash rayon
fabric prior to construction of the garment, you have a washable garment.
Stainless Steel Fiber:
Supplying concrete fibres, mainly Metallic fibres. Metallic fibres include low carbon cold
drawing steel fibres, stainless steel fibre, and sheet steel fibres etc. We have types of
Hooked Ends, Corrugation, Flat Ends and Micro steel fiber etc.
Steel fibres are filaments of wire, deformed and cut to lengths, for reinforcement of
concrete, mortar and other composite materials. It is a cold drawn wire fibre with
corrugated and flatted shape. It is often used to instead of Xorex steel fiber.
Ceramic Fiber:
Ceramic Fiber is an aluminosilicate based refractory fiber, white and odorless. It resists
temperature as high as 2300º F. CeraTex products are lightweight with very low thermal
conductivity. They provide excellent insulation at high temperature, and resist corrosive
chemicals such as commonly used acids and alkalis.
