As we all know, the traditional textile natural fiber is cotton , hemp fiber, animal fiber is wool fiber and silk, humans have used these fibers for a long time. With the development of science and technology, the integration between emerging disciplines such as bioengineering, genetic engineering, and nanotechnology and textile science and technology continues to increase. In the field of natural fibers, experts are constantly using high and new technologies such as physics, chemistry, and biology to modify them or develop new types of natural fibers for textiles, while giving full play to their advantages. , aesthetics, safety and environmental protection needs. Now we will discuss the properties and applications of new natural fibers currently developed and used.
New plant fiber
1. Natural colored cotton fiber
Natural colored cotton fiber uses transgenic technology to transplant colored cotton genes into raw cotton DNA, so that natural colored cotton fibers can be obtained. Colored cotton textiles do not require bleaching or dyeing, which is in line with people’s pursuit of ecological color diversity and the trend of environmental protection and returning to nature. Compared with white cotton, the yield of colored cotton is lower and the quality is not as good as white cotton. The fiber length of colored cotton is shorter, the strength is lower, the micronaire value is lower, the uniformity difference is large, and the short staple rate is high. Natural colored cotton textiles have excellent wearing properties. The products feel soft and elastic, with good comfort and safety. They are suitable for making underwear, T-shirts, shirts, infant clothing, towels, bedding, etc. that are in direct contact with the skin.
2. Hemp fiber
Cannabis, also known as hemp and hemp, is the earliest textile fiber grown in my country and used to wrap the body and keep out the cold. . Marijuana is rarely affected by pests during growth and storage. The fiber cross-section is irregular circular or polygonal, with a rough surface, many cracks and holes in the longitudinal direction, and is connected to the middle cavity. Therefore, hemp fiber has high adsorption and moisture absorption and perspiration properties. Hemp fabric has excellent moisture absorption and release properties, and its clothing is comfortable and breathable. The single fibers of hemp are very fine, and the textile feels smooth and soft. It can avoid the itchy and rough feeling unique to other hemp textiles without special treatment. In addition, hemp textiles have obvious antibacterial effects on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida, etc. For a long time, due to the failure of the pre-treatment and degumming process of hemp spinning, the fiber uniformity is poor and the fiber bundles are not easy to cohere, which brings certain difficulties to spinning. After the hemp degumming process was solved in the 1980s, it has become an important natural textile raw material. According to reports, some casual wear series products developed from domestic hemp/pure cotton/colored cotton blended casual fabrics combined with the characteristics of hemp are very popular with people due to their soft fabrics, elegant colors, and rough styles. Hemp blends well with other textile fibers, and hemp/wool blends are insect-resistant. Hemp textiles have certain health-care functions and are suitable for use in socks, insoles, underwear, bedding, etc.
3. Apocynum fiber
Apocynum, also known as wild hemp and tea flower, is a wild plant fiber with the hygroscopicity of hemp fiber It has the characteristics of good air permeability and high strength. In addition, apocynum fiber is soft, smooth and has a silky feel. It can be used to develop high-end textiles. The cross-section of the fiber is circular or oval, with vertical cross sections longitudinally, length 15~70mm, fineness 17~23μm, breaking strength 7.0~7.9cN/dtex, and elongation at break 3%-4%.
Modern scientific experiments It was found that apocynum fiber is rich in a variety of medicinal ingredients, which are basically the same as leaves and flowers. It has natural far-infrared function and natural antibacterial effect. Wearing apocynum fiber products can improve human immunity. Therefore, using this fiber to develop clothing, bedding, etc. with medical and health care effects can increase the added value of products. Apocynum fiber is shorter and thicker and needs to be spun with craft fibers. The fiber surface is smooth and curl-free, with small cohesion and low elongation. It is often blended with cotton, Tencel and other fibers to produce high-end textiles. Japan is the largest consumer market for apocynum textiles. I�Easily oxidized and faded. The Key Laboratory of Sericulture of Southwest University has developed “natural color fixation technology of silkworm cocoons” by improving varieties and constructing new carriers, which solves the problem of oxidation and fading of silkworm cocoons during the reeling process. Therefore, clothing and other supplies made of natural silk are as healthy, environmentally friendly, and non-decolorizing as natural colored cotton. It is a natural green environmentally friendly fiber with broad market prospects, especially suitable for underwear, skirts, outerwear, ties, and scarves. and other apparel items.
4. Spider silk fiber
Spider silk has high strength and excellent elasticity. Its characteristics are very similar to the high-strength synthetic fibers aramid 1414 and Elastane spandex. In terms of strength, spider silk is even better than high-performance Kevlar fiber. Although both fibers have similar high strength levels, Krvlar fiber can only extend 4% of its original length before breaking, while spider silk breaks Elongation up to 30%.
DuPont Company of the United States Many years of research have been conducted in this field. They inserted spider silk genes into yeast and bacteria to produce replicas of the spider silk protein, whose structure is identical to the spider silk protein. The researchers dissolved the protein in a chemical solvent, and the solution was extruded through small holes through wet molding. Strong fibers were spun. By creating spider silk in the laboratory, researchers hope to obtain biological fibers that are identical to spider silk. These biofibers are light in weight, high in strength, and have excellent elasticity and have many potential uses, such as in the fields of national defense and aerospace. It can be used to make lightweight bulletproof vests, helmets and even parachute ropes. It also has application potential in bridge construction, composite materials, biomedicine, etc.
Conclusion
The application of new textile materials has given vitality to the traditional textile industry, coupled with the advancement of textile mechatronics, intelligence and new production Craftsmanship makes this ancient industry full of vitality and shine again. The continuous development and use of new natural fibers not only saves energy such as oil but also reduces environmental pollution. Natural fibers have a certain affinity for the human body. Some natural fibers also have medical and health care functions. As people advocate nature and return to nature, The pursuit of continuous growth, increasing the development and use of natural fibers, gives it a broader market prospect.
