Types of Textile Fiber and its classification

                                                 Types of Textile Fiber

A Textile Fibre is the basic unit of raw material for making Yarn.The Textile Fibres must have a suitable length, pliability, fineness, and strength that is necessary for their conversion into Yarns and Fabrics.

Generally two types of fibre. 

1.     Natural fiber.

2.     Man-made fiber.

Natural fibre: 

Natural fibres include those produced by plants, animals, and geological processes. They are biodegradable over time. They can be classified according to their origin.

1.     Vegetable origin (i.e., cotton fiber, flax fiber, jute fiber, and ramie fiber).

2.     Animal (i.e., silk fiber/filament and wool fiber); 

3.     Mineral (i.e., asbestos fiber); or

Man-made fibre:

It is also known as Manufactured fibre. Synthetic or man-made fibres generally come from synthetic materials such as petrochemicals. But some types of synthetic fibres are manufactured from natural cellulose; including rayon, modal, and the more recently developed Lyocell. A class name for various fibres (including filaments) produced from fibre-forming substances which may be:

(1) Modified or transformed natural polymers, e.g., alginic and cellulose-based fibres such as  rayon fibre, acetate fibres; and

 (2) Polymers synthesized from chemical compounds, e.g.,  polyester fibre, nylon fibre, acrylic fibre, polyethene fibre, polyurethane fibre, and polyvinyl fibres;

 (3) Minerals, e.g., glasses. The term manufactured usually refers to all chemically produced fibres to distinguish them from the truly natural fibres such as cotton, wool, silk, flax, etc. E.g.: Glass fibre.

To be a textile fibre it has some properties. The properties of textile fibres are given below: 

Normally properties of textile fibres are three types: 

    A) Physical Properties 

    B) Chemical Properties

    C) Mechanical Properties 

A)   Physical Properties  

1.     Length

2.     Fineness

3.     Crimp

4.     Maturity

5.     Lustre

6.     Softness

7.     Resiliency

8.     Work of rupture

9.     Density

10.   Appearance

11.   Flexibility

12.   Toughness

13.   Elongation

B)    Chemical Properties  

1.     Solubility in aqueous salt

2.     Solubility in the organic salt

C)   Mechanical Properties  

1.     Strength

2.     Elasticity

3.     Extensibility

4.     Rigidity

Without above that properties, fibre has also 

1.     Thermal Properties

2.     Torsional Properties