01
Wear-resistant Fastness
Abrasion fastness refers to the ability to resist wear and friction, which helps improve the durability of the fabric. Clothing made from fibers with high breaking strength and good abrasion fastness can be worn for a long time and show signs of wear and tear after a long time.
Nylon is widely used in sports outerwear, such as ski jackets and football shirts. This is because its strength and abrasion resistance are particularly good. Acetate is often used as a lining for outerwear and jackets due to its excellent drape and low cost.
But because acetate has poor abrasion resistance, the lining is prone to wear or holes before the outer fabric of the jacket shows corresponding wear.
02
Water absorption
Water absorption is the ability to absorb moisture, which is usually expressed by moisture regain. The water absorption of fibers refers to the percentage of moisture absorbed by dry fibers in the air under standard conditions of a temperature of 70°F (equivalent to 21°C) and a relative humidity of 65%.
Fibers that easily absorb water are called hydrophilic fibers. All natural animal and vegetable fibers and two man-made fibers, viscose and acetate, are hydrophilic fibers. Fibers that have difficulty absorbing water or can only absorb a small amount of water are called hydrophobic fibers. All man-made fibers except viscose, Lyocell and acetate are hydrophobic fibers. Fiberglass does not absorb water at all, and other fibers typically have a moisture regain of 4% or less.
The water absorption of fiber affects many aspects of its application, including:
Skin comfort: Due to poor water absorption, the flow of sweat can cause a cold and wet feeling.
Static electricity: Along with hydrophobic fibers, problems such as clothing sticking and sparking will occur, because there is almost no moisture to help disperse the charged particles accumulated on the fiber surface, and dust is also brought to the fibers due to static electricity and Adhere to it.
Dimensional stability after washing: After washing, hydrophobic fibers shrink less than hydrophilic fibers, and the fibers rarely expand, which is one of the reasons for fabric shrinkage.
Stain removal: Stains are easily removed from hydrophilic fibers because the fibers absorb detergent and water at the same time.
Water repellency: Hydrophilic fibers usually undergo more water-repellent durability post-treatment because this chemical treatment can make these fibers more water-repellent.
Wrinkle recovery: Hydrophobic fibers generally have better wrinkle recovery, especially after laundering, because they do not absorb water, do not swell and dry in the wrinkled state.
03
Chemical effects
In textile processing (such as printing and dyeing, finishing) and home/professional care or cleaning (such as using soap, bleaching powder and dry cleaning solvents etc.), fibers generally need to be in contact with chemicals. The type of chemical, the intensity of action, and the time of action determine the degree of impact on the fiber. It is important to understand the effects of chemicals on different fibers as it directly relates to the care required during cleaning.
Fibers react differently to chemicals. For example, cotton fibers have relatively low acid resistance but good alkali resistance. In addition, cotton fabrics will lose a little strength after being treated with chemical resin and easy-iron finishing.
04
Coverage
Coverage refers to the ability to fill a certain range. Textile coverings made from coarse or curly fibers are better than those made from fine, straight fibers. The fabric is warm, has a full hand feel, and requires less fiber to weave.
Wool is a fiber widely used in winter clothing because its curl provides excellent coverage to the fabric and creates a large amount of still air in the fabric, which insulates the cold air from the outside. . The effectiveness of fiber coverage depends on its cross-sectional shape, longitudinal structure and weight.
05
Elasticity
Elasticity refers to the ability to increase length under tension (extension) and return to the rock state (recovery) after releasing external force. The elongation when external force acts on the fiber or fabric can make the clothes more comfortable and cause less seam stress.
At the same time, there is also a trend to increase the breaking strength.
Complete recovery can help prevent fabric sagging at the elbow or knee, thereby preventing the garment from sagging. Fibers that can stretch at least 100% are called elastic fibers. Spandex fiber (Spandex is also called Lycra, and spandex in my country) and rubber fiber belong to this type of fiber. After being stretched, these elastic fibers can almost forcefully return to their original length.
06
Environmental conditions
Environmental conditions have different effects on fibers. How the fibers and ultimately the fabric react to exposure, storage, etc. is very important.
Here are some examples:
Wool garments need to be insect-proof when stored as they are susceptible to wool borer attack.
Nylon and silk lose strength when exposed to sunlight for a long time, so they are not usually used to make curtains, doors and windows.
Cotton fiber is easily moldy, so it cannot be stored in a humid environment for a long time.
07
Flammability
Flammability refers to the ability of an object to ignite or burn. This is an important feature because people’s lives are always surrounded by various textiles. We know that clothing or indoor furniture, due to its flammability, can cause serious injury to consumers and cause significant material losses.
Fibers are usually divided into flammable, non-flammable and flame-retardant:
Flammable fibers refer to flammable fibers that are easily ignited and�Produced in fibers, but only when very dry do they become like hydrophobic fibers. Glass fibers are an exception to hydrophobic fibers because, due to their chemical composition, stationary charges cannot be generated on their surfaces.
Fabrics containing Ebitrobic fibers (fibers that can conduct electricity) do not have to worry about static electricity. The carbon or metal they contain allows the fibers to transfer accumulated static charges. Because static electricity often exists on carpets, nylon such as Monsanto Ultron is used on carpets. Tropic fiber eliminates shock, fabric clinging and dust absorption. Because of the danger of static electricity in special working environments, it is very important to use low-static fibers to make subways in hospitals, work areas near computers, and areas near fire-prone, explosive liquids or gases.
15
Strength
Strength is the ability of a fiber to resist stress. Fiber strength is the force required to break the fiber, expressed in grams per denier or centinewtons per tex (legal measurement unit).
16
Thermoplasticity
The ability of fiber to resist heat is an important factor affecting its application performance. This is also an important factor to consider in fiber processing in general, as fibers are exposed to heat during many fabric-forming processes, such as dyeing, ironing, and heat setting. In addition to this, heating is often used to care and renew clothing and interior furniture.
Some heat effects are temporary and obvious only during the process. For example, in dyeing, the properties of fibers can change during the application of heat, but return to normal upon cooling. But some of the effects of heat can be permanent, as molecules rearrange after heat and cause the fiber itself to degrade. Heat setting changes the molecular arrangement, making the fabric more stable (little shrinkage) and more resistant to wrinkles, but without significant degradation. However, prolonged exposure to high temperatures may cause degradation, such as loss of strength, fiber shrinkage, and discoloration. Many consumers have experienced excessively high ironing temperatures, which can cause severe fabric degradation or even damage clothing.
When heated, thermoplastic fibers become soft and can melt into a liquid state at higher temperatures. Many man-made fibers are thermoplastic. By applying heat to a fabric containing thermoplastic fibers to form creases and pleats without melting the fibers, long-lasting creases and pleats can be created when the temperature drops. Thermoplastic fibers can be molded when heated (softened) and the molded shape is retained when cooled (care must be taken when ironing garments made from man-made fibers to avoid softening or melting. When softened or melted, The fabric will begin to stick to the iron) and the creases will be permanent unless higher temperatures remove the original heat-setting effect. The shape of clothing can also be formed in this way, and thermoplastic fabrics have good dimensional stability.
17
Wickling
Wickling is the ability of a fiber to transfer moisture from one place to another. Normally, moisture is transferred along the surface of the fiber, but liquid can also pass through the fiber when it is absorbed by the fiber. The wicking tendency of fibers often depends on the chemical and physical composition of the outer surface. Smooth surfaces will reduce the effect of wicking.
