Fiber - Specific Gravity

Fiber	Specific Gravity
Acetate Rayon	1.30-1.33
Acrylic	1.14-1.18
PVC	1.38-1.70
Glass Fiber	2.50
Modacrylic	1.31-1.37
Nylon	1.10-1.14
Polyester	1.22-1.38
Polyolefin	0.90-0.95
Cupramommum Rayon	1.52
Viscose Rayon	1.52
Carbon High Modulus	1.77
Carbon Ultra High Mod	1.96
Alpaca	1.31
Angora Rabbit fur	1.10
Camel Hair	1.31
Cashmere	1.31
Cotton- Solid Fiber	1.54
Cotton Overall fiber	1.35
Linen	1.50
Flax	1.50
Hemp	1.50
Jute	1.50
Mink	1.26
Mohair	1.31
Musk Rat	1.26
Rabbit-Common	0.92
Ramie	1.55
Silk Weighted	>1.60
Silk- B. Mori (Raw)	1.33
Asbestor	2.1-2.8
Silk- Tussar	1.32
Wool ( non-modullated)	1.31

What is the difference of Modal from Viscose

Modal is type of Rayon, however it is different from Viscose in many aspects.

Viscose fiber, is one of the most widely used man-made fiber as it is versatile , affordable and its properties resemble to cotton .However, ordinary viscose staple fibers have low initial modulus i.e. they can be easily stretched under low load specially in wet condition . It has poor elastic recovery and is very sensitive to the effect of moisture.

Modal fiber, introduced in the year 1930 seems to be the right answer to these disadvantages. Modal as defined by the International Bureau for Standardization of Manmade Fibers (BISFA) is a distinct viscose rayon fibre genre, which has a higher wet modulus and satisfies a minimum value of tenacity in the wet stage at 5% elongation.

Modal has number of advantages over viscose fiber and mercerised Cotton.

1. Modal posses lower elongation and higher wet modulus as it has higher rate of polymerization than viscose.

2. Its exceptional similarity to cotton and silk in terms of texture (luster, sheen and gloss) results in a surface smoother than mercerized cotton .

3. It can be blended with almost all textile fibres, viz. cotton, wool, silk and other synthetic fibers.

4. Modal displays high dimensional stability, both for low shrinkage and low unrecoverable extension.

5. It is more hygroscopic in nature than cotton i.e. absorbs 50% more water than cotton, has more tensile strength with excellent wear resistance and is less likely to form pills as a result of friction.

6. Modal is also resistant to wear and strong while maintaining a soft, silky feel. Modal fibres have found a wide variety of uses in clothing, outwear and household furnishings.

7. Textiles made from modal fibres do not fibrillate, or pill, like cotton does and are resistant to shrinkage and fading .

8. It causes reduced growth of bacteria when compared to cotton, if both stored for the same period of time and it age like cotton.

Today, Modal is widely used in clothing as a replacement for cotton or mercerized cotton and viscose. (Source)

In addition to this, here is a guide to the various brand names of fibers to their generic names.

Want to go in more depth, here is an article.

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Word Origins of Some Textile Terms

Cotton

Cotton originated in Arbic qutn, the name for cotton plant.

Silk

Word silk originated in Chinese si. Greek called Silk traders Seres, "silk people". This is the origin of the words like Sericulture and Serge. 

However, the 'l' rather than an 'r' came through Russian Shelk.

Linen

The word comes from old Germanic "lin" meaning "Flax"which is an origin of the words such as linseed.

It has contributed to other words such as Lingerie, crinoline, linoleum and lint. 

Wool

It came from Indo-European "wlna". the word flannel is related to it.

Source: Bloomsbury Dictionary of Word Origins by John Ayto.

Spinning

Spin comes from Indo-European Base "spen" which means to stretch. The logic seems to make sense as spinning essentially involves stretching or drafting of a strand of fibers.

The words span, spinster, spider, spill and spindle are related to it.

Weaving

The origin is from Germanic "Weben"- to weave. This is the source of the words wafter, wasp, web and weft. 

Dyeing

The source of this word remain unknown.

Printing

The origin comes from Latin "premere" meant press. The words impression are related to it.

Bleaching

The origin comes from Germanic base "blaik-"means to whiten. The words blight and blink are related to it.

Textile

Latin texere means to "weave" which came from Indo European base "tek-" to make. It is the origin of the words text, context, pretext, subtle, texture, tissue and toilet, technical and architect.

Cloth

The history of the word cloth is Germanic "kleid"- means garment.

Fabric 

The word fabric is related to carpenter. The origin is the word "Faber" which means a carpenter. Other related words are fabricate and forge.

Apparel

It has the same source as apparatus, which came from apparare "make ready". The other related words are parent and prepare.

Yarn

The root came from prehistoric German "garn" which is originated from Greek "Khorde"- sting. The other related words are chord and cord. 

Fashion

The word came from Latin factio "make" or "do". The words related to it are difficult, fact, faction and factory. 

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What is TR Fabric

TR fabric refers to Terry Rayon, a fabric made with a polyester/viscose blend yarn. Generally it is used for suitings.

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Is Art Silk a type of Silk ?

This term made popular by catalog-centric websites is a misnomer. Art Silk in the technical circles, is a synonym for rayon.

However, now art silk is a euphemism for the articles made in polyester, nylon or acrylic.It is also known as polysilk.

One can find out the difference between the real silk, rayon and the "art silk" ( nylon, polyester, and acrylic) by burning a small yarn from the fabric and identifying the bead and smell.

See Also

Fiber Identification of Man-made fibres

Fiber Identification of Natural Fibers

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What is the difference between Faux Georgette and Georgette

Faux georgette is a nice way of saying that a fabric is made of polyester or nylon Georgette.

This term is used very frequently in e-commerce, where customers are normally get offended by the term "polyester" and marketers don't want to offend them.

"Faux"- as described by Google ( Search for the word "faux") means artificial or made in imitation.

Taking the above definition into account the word "faux" is more misleading as the Georgette is genuine.

In this sense calling a fabric faux Georgette, or faux Crepe or faux Chiffon is a faux pas in technical terms.

Conclusion: If you find "faux" written before a fabric, assume that it is synthetic ( polyester or nylon).

See Also:

Difference Among Chiffon, Crepe, Georgette

What is 8 Kg Georgette

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Difference Among Pure Silk, Blended Silk and Part Silk Fabrics

As per BIS (Bureau of Indian Standard) the following definitions will apply. Please note that composition of only ground fabric or base fabric will be considered.

1. Pure Silk

If the content of silk in the fabric is more than or equal to 95% then it is termed as pure silk.

2. Blended Silk

If the content of silk in the fabric is more than or equal to 50% then it is termed as blended silk. A tolerance of +-3% is allowed on the declared content.

3. Part Silk

If the content of silk in the fabric is more than or equal to 20% then it is termed as part silk. A tolerance of +- 3% is permitted.

As per BIS, a silk fabric to be marked with the following information among others:

a. Name of the fabric eg. chiffon, crepe etc.
b. Blend composition e.g. pure silk, blended silk or part silk
c. variety of silk eg. mulberry, eri, muga or tussar

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Learning about Viscose, Modal and Tencel

The production process of the three fibers has been convered elsewhere in the blog. Here I would like to discuss some of the properties useful for fabric buyers for comparison.

In dry state viscose is only slight weaker than cotton. However, in the wet state, the strength is about 38% that of cotton. That makes it a very tricky fiber to blend with cotton and subsequent dyeing with cotton. The fabric undergoes changes in shape when wet processing.

Also strength of cotton increases when wet- being 1.14 times that in dry state. However, for viscose it is about 0.5 times that in dry state. This necesssitates that the viscose should be dry cleaned rather than ordinarily washed.

Modal's strength is comparable to cotton in dry state. In wet state, it is about 78% of the cotton strength. For Tencel, it is much more than cotton both in dry and wet state.

A table comparing the properties of the three is given below:

The above table represents three fibers from Birla. VSF is the first generation viscose. Modal is second generation and Tencel is the third generation viscose.

This Link describes the precautions to be followed in viscose processing.

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Cotton Price Trends in India

Indian Textile Mills are ramping up imports of cotton

Source: seedrack.com via Melyssa on Pinterest

Mills in India, the world's second biggest cotton producer have already imported 500,000 bales and have signed contracts for around 1 million bales at 75-80 cents per lb, compared with the local price of about 88 cents. This can be attributed to the following two reasons. 

a. Tight Domestic Supplies of Cotton 

- Poor rainfall in top producing Gujarat State. Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat, the country’s largest producer, have received 72% less than the usual rainfall by this time

- A rally in Soyabean prices is prompting some farmers to ditch cotton for Soyabean.

- Record export of good quality cotton earlier this year, with lower quality cotton left this year. 

- Harvesting is getting delayed because of late arrival of Monsoon. If it gets delayed beyond Sep, the domestic cotton prices will sky rocket. 

b. Lower Prices Abroad

- Domestic cotton prices are ruling around 88 cents per pound, freight on board, around 14% higher than the African fibre and 10% than the crop in the US, the world’s largest cotton exporter

Source 1

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A Layman's Review of Silk

What is Silk

Silk is a continuous protein filament secreted by specific types of caterpillars commonly known as silkworms. It is the most loved fiber the world over. Natural sheen, inherent affinity for rich colors, high absorbency, lightweight (yet stronger than a comparable filament of steel), poor heat conduction ( warm in winter, cool in summer), low static current generation, resilience, and excellent drape are some of its irresistibly endearing qualities. 

Varieties of Silk

Mulberry

This is the most commonly known and understood form of natural silk. 

Mulberry silk is light weight, has a natural sheen and smooth feel. Majority of finished silk products available in the market are made from mulberry silk. 

The mulberry silk worm feeds on mulberry leaves and forms a smooth cocoon, from which yarn is taken out through a process called reeling. 

Mulberry silk is a rich absorbent of colors and is a printer's delight. 

Vanya Silks or Wild Silks ( Tasar, Eri and Muga)

India's Wild Silks or Vanya Silks reflect the exotic and untamed spirit of wild silk worm...in texture, feel, sheen and color. It has inspired designers to create distinct fashion statements in clothing and home textiles. 

Vanya Silks have baffling thermal properties, keeping warm in winter and cool in summer. 

Vanya Silk portray the rich crafts culture and folklore of the North Eastern and Tribal zones of Central and Eastern India. They are of three different types, each distinct in its characterisics, Tasar, Eri and Muga. 

Tasar 

The tropical or Indian Tasar Silks are highly textured and have a wide range of natural colors from off-white to beige and gold brown. It has a dull, uneven sheen and can also be dyed in a number or colors and easily blended with cotton, wool, linen or other silks. 

Well known Bafta fabric is a blend of India Tasar with cotton. Tasar is used in both spun and filament form. Tasar silkworms feed mainly on Asan and Arjun leaves. India is the second largest producer of Tasar silk in the world. 

Desi or Indian Tropical Tasar is produced by the species of worms known as Antharaea Mylitta. There is another variety of Tasar which is called Oak Tasar. It is produced by another species of worms called Antharaea Proyeli (produced in India ) and Antharaea pernyi (produced in China). It is a finer variety of Tasar.

Eri

Also known as Endi or Errandi Eri silk is produced by Eri silkworm, which mainly feeds on Castor and Kesseru leaves. 

Eri can be spun in coarse to very fine yarns and is home washable. It can also blend with cotton, wool, jute and mulberry silk. 

Eri silk gains better sheen with every wash. Its high warmth retention makes it very comfortable in cooler climes. It is popularly used for making Shawls, Stoles, Fashion accessories and Home Furnishings. 

Muga

The shimmering golden color, distinct look and smooth feel of muga is an instant inspiration to the interior, home and fashion designers all over the world. Muga commands highest premium amongst all silks. 

Reared in Assam, the Northeastern region and Cooch Behar in West Bengal, Muga silkworms feed on Som and Sualu Leaves. 

Muga yarn is generally used in the Assamese homes for home furnishings. The famous Sualkuchi sarees too are a product of Muga silk. 

Silk Care

Precautions during washing ( Source : Silkmark Brochure- Please try separately before following instructions)

1. Always wash silks in soft water. Add a pinch of Borax or ammonia, if the water is hard. 

2. Use a good neutral soap in the forms of either flakes or solutions. 

3. Light detergent may also be used in the case of hard water. 

4. Wash in lukewarm water by kneading and squeezing or suction. 

5. Rinse in warm water 2-3 times to remove traces of soap.

6. Add a few drops of citric acid or acetic acid to the final rinse in cold water. 

7. Silk with doubtful color fastness may be steeped in cold water with a small amount of citric or acetic acid for 1-2 minutes before washing. Squeeze lightly by hand to remove water. 

8. Always dry flat, in shade. 

Precautions during Ironing

1. Use Low to medium heat

2. Never spray water to dampen silk before ironing. This will cause water spots in the fabric. 

3. Silk should always be ironed on the reverse side if still damp.

Storage of Silk Products

1. Store in cool and dry place in brown craft paper covers. 

2. In case of sarees avoid stacking more than three, frequently reverse and change the folds. A small sandal wood piece instead of naphthalene balls would provide dry, cool and fresh air. Sweat should never be allowed to settle and should be removed by rinsing in cold water. 

3. Hang the silk products in good ventilated wardrobe or cupboard.

4. Use anti-mildew compound spray.

5. Warp in muslin cloth to avoid discoloring of zari. 

6. Use natural perfume like Sandalwood swatch for refreshning.

7. Plastic bags given as package material after laundering or purchase should not be used for storage. 

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Difference between Blended Fabrics and Union Fabrics

Blended Fabrics are made up of blended yarns. Blended yarns contain fibers of different composition in fixed proportions. Thus a blended fabric may be made of polyester/cotton in 67:33 ratio in both warp and weft. 

Union fabrics are the fabrics where in the fibre content of warp is different form that of  weft. Thus a Silk/Viscose union fabric may have silk in the warp and viscose in the weft. 

An excellent study on silk/viscose union fabrics can be found here. 

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Bamboo Fiber- I

Bamboo is a regenerated cellulosic fiber. There are three types of bamboo fibers:

1. Pure Bamboo

2. Bamboo Charcoal

3. Bamboo Viscose

1. Pure Bamboo

Pure bamboo is produced by physical and mechanical process like linen and hemp. It has high strength and is environment friendly. However it suffers from poor spinnability properties and high cost.

2. Bamboo Charcoal- An application of Nano Technology

In making this fiber, the bamboo is dried and heated at 800 deg. C until it becomes bamboo charcoal. Then the charcoal is sent for further processing to turn it to nano particles. These ultra fine bamboo particles are then embedded into viscose or polyester fiber. The fiber is then drawn into yarn and processed as usual.

Generally nano-bamboo charcoal powder is added during the process of spinning solution.Thus polyester, nylon and viscose fibers can be manufactured embedded with bamboo charcoal fiber.

This fiber has strong adsorption capacity.  It can adsorb bad odor and chemicals. It shows an excellent anti-pilling tendency and the material washes well. It has strong anti-microbial properties. In an actual test of a pair of socks, after wearing without washing for a week, the socks not only have no odor, they were also dry. The disadvantage with this fiber is that it is only available in grey and black colors.

Source 1 2 3 4

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Linen and Ramie

These nuggets of wisdom about Linen Fabric I have gathered from the website of Jayashree Textiles of Aditya Birla Group:

1.Linen was extensively used in the mummification process by the ancient Egyptians, as it helped preserve the dead body and to this day remains of some important mummies have their linen coverings intact.

2. In ancient Celtic times, linen was spun in an anti-clockwise direction as it was believed that this endowed mystical powers bringing the weaver good fortune

3. Scientists have recently discovered, cutting linen that was preserved in the British Museum woven 6000 years ago, is structurally perfect just as any new linen today. This reveals that linen has the ability to resist the effects of time and that linen is not affected by germs.

4. The word ‘spinster’, meaning single woman comes from the time when flax was still spun on spinning wheels by women. This skilled work was considered as an advantage when looking for a suitable husband. Single women were encouraged to sit outside and spin, so that they could be admired by potential suitors as they passed. As a result, the word gradually became associated with single woman.

5. ‘Flaxen hair beauty’ comes from the beauty of the flax fiber, which resembles golden hair.

Then there is a “caution” of confusing Linen against Ramie and other synthetic fibers and cotton slubs;  this reads as follows: 

1.   Ramie is being sold as Linen in India whereas Ramie is not Linen. 

2.   Ramie the Produce of China gets harsher after every wash and itches to the skin, whereas linen fabrics gets softer after every wash and becomes very much soothing to skin.

3.   Further cotton slubs, polyester slubs fabrics are also not linen, however they are being sold as linen misleading to the consumer.

A search about the Ramie Fiber and its comparison to Linen revealed to me an amazing treatise on the other natural fibers, which by itself very helpful but unfortunately deals very less with ramie and their potential for India. On probing further, I came to know this article on Ramie fiber.

A site selling Ramie fabric talks about “100% Ramie Linen Fabric-Ramie is a fiber similar to linen. In fact, it is almost impossible to tell the difference between this fabric and the most expensive linen”.

I just wonder what would be the price difference between these two fabrics. Ramie is reported to be twice strong than Linen.

A very useful article comparing Linen with Ramie says the following among other opinions: "Textiles made from ramie behave similarly to linen textiles. They are prone to wrinkling and will breakdown if sharply creased, so it is best to fold them loosely and store flat. One advantage ramie has over linen is that it is naturally bacteria- and mold-resistant. It holds dye well, although saturated colors can be prone to crocking, which is discoloration of skin or other fabrics that contact the dyed ramie at stress points or wet areas. Ramie 

can handle the same heat and agitation as linen."

A further research article says that “ Ramie is the strongest bast fiber and one of the strongest natural fibers comparable to cotton and silk. In terms of length to breadth ratio, whose higher value indicates better fiber quality, is even greater than cotton and linen. However Ramie is stiff and brittle with low elasticity".

I feel that Ramie has potential to be another fiber of the future

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More about Tussar or Tussah or Tassar

Looking for Tussar, I came across several other interesting features. Some of these are as follows:

1. China exports two types of Tussar Silks: 33/37 D Water reeled and 70 D Dry Reeled Silk. I am just wondering if the "China" that is 50/70 quality that we use in India is dry reeled always.

2. There are 7 grades of quality of Tussar Exported by China, 4A, 3A, 2A, A, B, C and Off grade.


3. The standard moisture regain of Tussar Silk is 10% and density is 1.58 to 1.63 gms/cm3.


4. Elongation at break of water reeled tussar is 23% and dry reeled tussar is 16%.


5. China tussar is different from Indian ( Tropical ) tussar due to the fact the China Tussar the species of the worm is different and fed on "Oak Leaves" ( Also done in Himalyan Regions of the country). Whereas in India it is fed on "Arjun" and "Aasan" leaves. 


6. 8 is the usual number of cocoon filaments to form a single thread. The normal size of the thread produced is 30-35 deniers.


7.Tussar silk is the primary kind in the silk which lustrous,bright,soft handfeel,it has highest wear resistance in the natural faric. The Acid & Alkali Resistance of tussah silk is better than mulberry silk.


However I could not find out how they do dry reeling of tussar. Would require your inputs. 


And yes, I found the Tussar process practiced in Bihar, Bhagalpur. You can click here to find out more.

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More about Silkworms and Silk fiber- Mulberry, Muga, Tasar and Eri

Silkworm belong to the order Lepidoptera. They belong to family of Bombycidae and Saturniidae. Under Bomycidae, we have Bombyx Mori or commonly known as Mulberry Silkworm. Under Saturniidae family the eri silk worm is called Philosamia Ricine, Muga is called Anthrerea Assamensis and Tasar is called A. Mylitta. 

Silk filament is made up of 75-80 percent fibroin and 20-25% sericin or gum. Fibroin is insoluble but sericin may be removed by boiling. 

The Muga and Tasar varieties of the worm also secrete a cement which causes a drab color to develop, making bleaching a very laborious process. 

Silk of the B. Mori variety is triangular in cross section. It has a capacity to reflect light and the layers of protein impart it with a pearly sheen. Tasar silk has a flatter structure which is a reason for its dull appearance. 

Muga is rounder and more lustrous. 

The B.Mori and Muga imagos cut their way through one end of the cocoon, thus making the filament discontinuous. The Tasar moth secrets an enzyme called cocoonase, which softens the cocoon shell facilitating  emergence. The eri moth spins an open ended cocoon through which the imago can fly to full term. 

In silk only male worm can fly. 

During the process of boiling of silk 75% of the sericin is removed. Care is taken to retain the 25% of the gum to prevent tangling. If the boiling is insufficient, filaments tend to snap during weaving, while excess boiling increases the amount of waste silk. 

The thread drawn from the cocoon is of uneven consistency, being finer at the beginning and the end. In order to provide uniformity in consistency, additionaly filaments are drawn in course of reeling, the process is called throwing. 

Because of the structure of cocoon, the process of reeling also generates a residue of waste fiber. In B. Mori, about 45% of the product is floss. This material is spun. This is called Matka. In the case of muga worm 25 to 50 percent may be spun. With regard to tasar only about 10 per cent of the filament can be reeled

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