Fibres and Fabrics

Fibres and Fabrics

1. Cotton

   • Comes from a cotton plant
     • Used in denim, corduroy, calico
     • Smooth appearance
   • Good properties
     • Strong (even when wet)
     • Good absorber (easy to dye)
     • Does not cause allergies
     • Hardwearing
     • Soft and comfortable to wear
     • Cool in hot weather
     • Reasonably cheap
     • Non-static
     • Easy to wash
   • Bad properties
     • Flammable
     • No elasticy
     • Dries slowly
     • Shrinks easily
     • Creases easily
   • Used in: t-shirts, jeans, blouses, soft funrnishings

2. Wool

   • From a sheep's fleece
     • used in Harris tweed, felt, jersey, gabardine, knitted fabrics.
     • Good points
       • Does not crease
       • Good elasticity
       • available in lots of fabric weights
       • Low flammability
       • Good absorber
       • Warm
       • Available in lots of fabric weights
   • dries slowly
   • Cannot be washed as may felt or shrink
   • can be expensive
   • Can be itcht
   • Can be used at hats, carpets, suits, jumpers, coats, dresses.
   • Looks soft/coarse

3. Viscose

   • Good points
     • Drapes well
     • Fairly cheap
     • Comfy to wear
     • Soft
     • Easy to wash
     • Absorbant
   • Bad Points
     • Highly flammable
     • Not very hard-wearing
     • Does not stretch well
   • Looks smooth, light and glossy
   • Its a re-generated fibre made from treating wood pulp with sodium hydoxide and other chemicals
   • Used in rayon
   • Used in lingerie, soft furnishing, suits, linings, dresses

4. Acetate

   • Comfortable to wear
   • Soft
   • drapes well
   • easy to wash
   • fairly cheap
   • resists biological and sun damage
   • Not very absorbant
   • High flammability
   • not very hard-wearing
   • not very stretchy
   • made from wood pulp treated with acetic acid and other chemicals
   • Used in linings and soft furnishings

5. Polyester

   • good points
     • strong (even when wet)
     • low flammability
     • Does not crease easily
     • hard wearing
     • cheap
     • quite stretchy
     • dries quickly
     • resists biological damage
       • i.e. moths
   • Bad points
     • melts when burns
     • not biodegradable
     • not absorbant
     • damaged by strong acids
   • used in dacron
   • used in sportswear, table cloths, padding, cushions, curtains, bed sheets

6. Elastane

   • good points
     • strong
     • hard-wearing
     • extremely elasticated (can stretch up to 7x its length!)
     • keeps its shape well
     • lightweight
     • resists sun/biological damage
   • bad points
     • not absorbent
     • not biodegradable
     • high flammability
   • used in lycra
   • combined with other fires to add stretch, swimwear, underwear