Welcome to our next lecture this lecture is about basic textile terminology we will explore the fundamental concepts and vocabulary used in the textile industry understanding these basic terms is essential for anyone working with Fabrics I will cover key topics such as the different types of fibers their properties and how they influence their performance and characteristics of fabrics we'll also delve into the distinctions between natural and manufactured fibers and you'll learn about the structural differences between staple and filament fibers and how these affect the texture and application of Tex Styles and finally I will discuss the importance of fiber shape diameter and how to create and modify manufactured fibers so what is a fiber a fiber is a fine hair-like structure and it's the smallest unit of any textile product fibers are grouped or Twisted together to create continu strands called Yarns these Yarns are then used to weave or to knit fabric fibers are either natural or manufactured natural fibers are obtained from natural sources such as plants and animals and they've been used for centuries they're known for their comfort their breathability and their biodegradability examples include cotton wool silk and flax manufactured fibers also known as synthetic or man-made fibers are created through chemical processes and are often designed to have specific properties such as strength elasticity and resistance to wrinkles examples include polyester nylon and acrylic so natural fibers are derived from plant or animal sources so in this example here silk caser wool and camel wool are from animal sources and cotton and linen are from plant sources so wool is obtained from the fleece of sheep and other animals other animals such as goats which is referred to as Kashmere wool alpacas and rabbits which is referred to as angor wool and wool is known for its warmth its moisture wicking properties and its natural crimp which gives it elasticity and resilience the crimp creates tiny air pockets that trap heat which makes wool an excellent insulator as well wool is naturally flame resistant and it can absorb up to 30% of its weight and moisture without feeling damp so this contributes to its comfort in various weather conditions so here we can see the crimping characteristics of a wool fiber and as I mentioned wool fibers have a natural crimp which contributes to their elasticity and their resilience and here's a microscopic view of wool fiber notice how it's scaly along the outside just like human hair these scales on the wool fibers interlock and they provide a felting property that enhances insulation this is a white worm silk pod the protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons the best known silk is obtained from cocoons of the larvae of mulber silk worms this is a microscopic view of silk in the image on the left notice how it is very smooth along the length but at the crosssection on the right it almost produces a triangular kind of shape this is an important factor in how silk creates a very smooth and lustrous appearance when it's woven into fabric the smooth texture along the length of the fiber allows light to reflect off of it cotton is a widely used natural fiber that comes from the seed hairs of the cotton plant it's known for its softness breathability and versatility cotton fibers are spun into Yarns and woven or knitted into Fabrics that are used for a wide range of products from clothing to Home Textiles cotton is valued for its Comfort its durability and its ease of care it can be grown in many parts of the world with the quality of cotton varying based on factors such as the length and the finess of the fibers this is an image of a Cotton Bowl that's that's how it's spelled when referring to the actual pod that produces the cotton fibers b o l l cotton is a soft fluffy staple fiber that grows in a bowl or a protective case around the seeds of the cotton plants when we look at the fiber up close we see that it has a slightly Twisted ribbon shape to it this is a microscopic image of a cotton fiber when we look at the crosssection of cotton we see that it has almost a kidney bean shape so whereas silk was almost triangular or trilobal cotton is more of a kidney shape the shape of the fiber impacts the way they perform in our clothing another natural plant source is linen which comes from the flax plant linen is one of the oldest textiles in the world it's known for its strength crisp texture durability and natural Sheen linen is highly absorbent and it dries quickly which makes it ideal for warm weather clothing it's also popular among household items like tablecloths and bed linens here's an image of part of the harvesting process of flax harvesting flax involves several steps to separate the fibers from the rest of the plant first the flax plants are pulled up by the roots rather than being cut to preserve the full length of the fibers the plants are then dried and undergo reading where they are exposed to moisture to break down the pectin that binds the fibers to the the stem this can be done through water reading which is soaking the plant in water or de reading which is exposing it to Dew and sunlight once reded the flax is dried again and then it's scudded and heckled to separate the fibers from the Woody core and remove any remaining impurities flax fibers come from the plant stem whereas cotton comes from the bowl that is produced by the plant flax comes from the actual stem of the plant it produces a fiber that has a natural Sheen is long it's strong and originally it's golden in color here is a microscopic image of a flax fiber we can see in this image that the fiber is almost segmented it's smooth but has these segments almost like a bamboo Chute with cross marking nodes and no lengthwise stations this makes the fiber quite stiff but it also contributes to the way that linen wrinkles easily now manufactured fibers also known as synthetic or man-made fibers are created from raw materials such as petrochemicals the process starts with these materials being melted down or dissolved to form a viscous solution this solution is then extruded through a spinneret which is a device with numerous tiny holes the shape and the size of the holes in the spinette determines the cross-sectional shape and properties of the fiber this Extrusion process creates long continuous filaments which are then solidified by cooling or chemical treatments so here's the spinnerette the spinnerette is a key tool in the production of manufactured fibers it resembles a small thimble likee device with multiple holes as the viscous solution is forced through these holes it forms long continuous strands of fiber and so the design of the spinnerette can be customized to produce fibers with different shapes and textures for example a spinnerette with round holes will produce a smooth cylindrical fiber while one with a triangular or multi-lobed holes can create fibers with unique cross-sectional shapes that can enhance certain properties such as luster bulk and surface texture after the fiber is extruded through the spinnerette it under goes a solidification process the solidified filaments can then be processed further depending on their intended use continuous filaments can be used directly to make smooth lustrous Yarns or they can be cut into shorter length to produce stable fibers which are then spun into Yarns with a more traditional textile appearance additional treatments such as drawing which is stretching the fibers can improve their strength and elasticity and finally fibers can undergo texturizing dying and finishing processes that enhance their performance and aesthetic qualities for specific textile applications so what's the difference between staple and filament these terms refer to the length of the fiber in the previous slide we saw filament fibers which were manufactured fibers and understanding the difference between staple and filament fibers is crucial because it ffects the properties and the uses of the textile products that we create filament fibers are long they are smooth and they are continuous we can see them in the top image of this slide in contrast staple fibers are short and they're varied in length this distinction is important because filament fibers can create smooth lustrous Fabrics while stable fibers often result in a fuzzier texture due to their shorter length and the ends of them sticking out of the yarn most natural fibers are short staple fibers cotton linen and wool are examples these fibers grow to a certain length and then they stop making them relatively short there is an exception which is silk silk is a natural filament fiber each silk cocoon can produce up to to 1,600 y of a continuous fiber although it eventually ends its length allows us to create very smooth and lustrous Fabrics manufactured fibers all start as filament fibers these fibers are extruded through a spinnerette to the desired length the ability to control the length of these fibers during production allows manufacturers to tailor the properties of the fibers for specific applications as a result we can produce fibers with consistent quality and characteristics so while all manufactured fibers are made in filament form they can be cut into staple lengths this process allows for versatility in textile production cutting filament fibers into staple lengths can mimic the properties of natural staple fibers providing options for different fabric textures and qualities so for example cut polyester Staples can be spun into Yarns that are similar to Cotton when we're talking about filament fibers we also consider the difference between monofilament and multifilament monofilament means one fiber these fibers are strong enough to act alone an example is the invisible nylon thread used in hems of pants or on quilts similar to fishing line monofilament fibers cannot be broken down into smaller pieces they are single continuous strands whereas multifilament means many filaments that are combined to create a yarn manufactured or synthetic Yarns often consist of multiple strands of fiber creating multiple filament Yarns if you can break it down into multiple fibers it means that there are multiple filaments in that yarn these terms monofilament and multi filament apply only to filament fibers not staple fibers now choosing the right fiber is essential for achieving the desired textile performance each fiber has inherent characteristics that impart benefits or drawbacks to the final product and understanding these properties helps in designing products that meet specific requirements such as softness durability or moisture resistance and so every fiber has unique features that affect the final product for example cotton is soft and absorbent making it ideal for comfortable clothing in contrast nylon is strong and wind resistant making it suitable for outdoor gear like ski jackets and knowing these characteristics helps in making informed choices for different applications categorizing fibers based on their features and benefits helps in understanding their performance for instance wool is a natural fiber with a coiled structure and has a shingle like covering of scales this makes it resilient and resistant to wrinkles and if a wool garment wrinkles hanging it up for a day can relax and remove the wrinkles without much ironing wool's shingle like scales repel Soil and Water enhancing the fiber's durability and ease of care however exposure to heat and moisture during agitation can cause the scales to lift and lock together leading to felting this is why wool suits for example should be dry clean rather than washed in a machine so this leads us to serviceability serviceability measures a textile product's ability to meet customer needs this includes Aesthetics durability Comfort appearance retention ease of care environmental impact and the cost over the garment's life understanding these aspects ensures the product aligns with customer expectation so we'll start with the properties of textile textile properties include physical attributes like fiber length shape crimp and diameter and these characteristics influence how the fiber behaves and performs in different applications so fiber length as we've already discussed ranges in length from short to long staple fibers are short while filament fibers are long toe refers two thousands of filaments grouped together to form a thick rope this term is often used in the context of manufactured fibers toe is often crimped or texturized or bulked and then heat set especially for manufactured fibers the heat permanently sets the shape and the toe can be cut into stable lengths this process creates fibers with specific textures and properties within the same fiber category lengths can vary so for example cotton lengths range from half an inch to about 2 in long length cotton fibers like puma sepa and Egyptian cotton produce softer smoother stronger and more lustrous Fabrics shorter length fibers like upend cotton are less expensive but they're still widely used as we've discussed long untwisted filament fibers create smooth and lustrous Fabrics they're ideal for linings for example and you might see them in jackets or dresses in contrast Twisted staple fibers with ends sticking out produce a duller appearance and we see these in many Fabrics like cotton both types have their own benefits and uses and they contribute to the textile nature in this image shows a variety of fiber shapes each contributing to different features and performance in textiles so for example the trilobal or the Triangular fibers resemble silk whereas flat obal fibers with convolutions are more simil similar to Cotton understanding these shapes helps in selecting the right fiber for specific textile applications okay now let's compare some common fiber types in terms of their shape I've shown you these already in the presentation so we'll look at them briefly and you can consider their differences and how those differences impact the final fabric so we'll start with cotton here's a microscopic image of cotton fiber cotton fibers as we've discussed are typically kidney bean shaped in cross-section and their length has a characteristic Twisted ribbonlike appearance this twist known as convolution gives cotton its natural elasticity and it helps the fibers interlock when they're spun into yarn this adds to Cotton's strength and durability okay let's look at flax again so flax fibers are oval with nodules kind of like a bamboo stick and as we discussed flax fibers are used to make linen and they have unique structure so the oval shape with the nodules along the length gives them a segmented appearance and these nodules are what contribute to flax's stiffness and its tendency to wrinkle but they also provide strength and they give the fabric a slight sheen okay and then let's look at wool again so wool fibers are round and they're coiled they're kind of like a slinky or a pig's tail with a shingle like covering of scales wool fibers are naturally crimped and they have that round coiled structure the outer layer of wool is known as the cuticle and it's covered with overlapping scales similar to shingles on a roof and it's this scaly structure that helps wool trap air and it provides insulation and warmth that shingle likee scale also repels Soil and Water the scales on wool fibers naturally repel water and soil and they make wool Fabrics more resistant to stains and easier to clean this property is particularly useful for garments and textiles that are used in outer and active wear and it's that coiled shape that's like a slinky that allows the fiber to bounce back to shape more easily so it doesn't need much ironing even if it does get a little bit wrinkled wool fiber's natural texture is called crimp crimp refers to the bends and the twists along the length of the wool fiber it increases bulk it increases stretch and it increases warmth it also increases its resistance to abrasion and the crimp also enhances absorbency and comfort against the skin manufactured fibers often need to be crimped and heat set to achieve these properties but but wool naturally possesses them making it unique among fibers and so manufactured fibers are often produced in various different shapes in order to mimic specific natural fibers and they adjust their shape in order to affect how light is reflected and influence the Fabric's appearance its Loft its texture its luster and even its ability to hide soiling so for example smooth fibers will show dirt and soil readily whereas striated or multi lobal fibers can conceal dirt particles smooth filaments produce silk-like Fabrics whereas bulked filaments are used for cotton or wool-like Fabrics with a more natural matte finish fiber diameter refers to the thickness of the fibers in natural fibers the diameter can vary along the length but in manufactured fibers it's usually uniform thicker fibers are bulkier stiffer and more resistant to wrinkles but they don't pack together as well as finer fibers on the other hand finer fibers create lighter more drapable and softer Fabrics enhancing comfort and elegance fiber diameter is measured in microns a micron is one 1,000th of a millimeter this unit of measurement is essential for assessing the finess of natural fibers such as wool where a lower Micron count indicates a finer softer fiber but more commonly fibers are measured in terms of their denier denier is the weight in grams of 9,000 M of fiber it produces a standard measure for the thickness of fibers a higher denier indicates a thicker more durable fiber whereas a lower denier indicates a finer more delicate fiber Tex is another unit of measurement for fiber and yarn thickness with one Tex equaling 1 G per 1,000 M it's a direct measurement system providing an alternative to denier and it's commonly used in international contexts so that brings us to the end of this lecture on basic textile terminology please take some time to review and organize your notes to ensure that you have a solid understanding of the concepts that we've covered this foundational knowledge will be crucial for your upcoming labs and assignments