CELLULOSIC FIBRES

 FIBRE:-Fiber or fibre is a class of

materials that are continuous filaments or
are in discrete elongated pieces, similar
to lengths of thread.

Vegetable fibre
 Natural fibers-
Animal fibre

Mineral fibre

 Man-made fibers May come from natural synthetic

chemicals
 CELLULOSIC FIBRES

NATURAL CELLULOSIC MANMADE CELLULOSIC

• COTTON • RAYON
• LINEN • ACETATE
• JUTE • TRI ACETATE
• HEMP • Cupra Ammonium
• SISAL
• KAPOK
• RAMIE
• COIR
• PINA
COTTON
 Properties of cotton fibers
Property Evaluation

Fairly uniform in width, 12-20 microns; length varies from ½ to 2½ inches; typical length is
Shape
⅞ to 1¼ inches.

Luster low

Tenacity (strength)
Dry 3.0-5.0 g/d
Wet 3.3-6.0 g/d

Resiliency low

Density 1.54/1.56 g/ccm

Moisture absorption
raw:conditioned 8.5%
saturation 15-25%
mercerized: conditioned 8.5-10.3%
saturation 15-27%+

Dimensional stability good

Resistance to
acids damage, weaken fibers
alkali resistant; no harmful effects
organic solvents high resistance to most
sunlight Prolonged exposure weakens fibers.
microorganisms Mildew and rot-producing bacteria damage fibers.
insects Silverfish damage fibers.

Thermal reactions
Decomposes after prolonged exposure to temperatures of 150˚C or over.
to heat
Burns readily.
to flame
 TYPES OF COTTON
The following species are grown commercially:
 Gossypium arboreum L. – Tree cotton, native to India and
Pakistan.

 Gossypium barbadense L. – known as American Pima,

Creole, Egyptian, or Sea island cotton, native to tropical
South America.

 Gossypium herbaceum L. – Levant cotton, native to southern

Africa and Arabian Peninsula.

 Gossypium hirsutum L. – Upland cotton, native to Central

America, Mexico, the Caribbean and southern Florida - most
commonly grown species in the world.

 Gossypium peruvianium

 Gossypium purpurascade
COTTON LONGITUDINAL-
SECTION

•Also cotton has a Bean-shaped cross section

 Yarn Manufacturing Processes
Plucking:-
2. Manual
3. Mechanical
Picking:- open tufts are
collected and rolled
into a batt. Then batt
is removed from the
cylindrical screens of
the picker in an even
flat sheet and rolled
into a lap
 Ginning
Harvested raw cotton
Contains seeds, leaf
fragments etc.
Cottonseeds weigh 2/3rds of
raw cotton when picked.
These are removed by a
cotton gin.
Cotton gin has saw-toothed
bands that pull the fiber
from the seeds. Then
cotton fiber is compressed
into rectangular bales,
covered with jute or
polypropylene bagging and
bound with iron bands.
 Opening and blending
 The sequential production process
begins by converting the compacted
layers of baled cotton into small,
light, fluffy tufts that facilitate
removal of foreign matter. This initial
process is called “opening”.
 Since bales are of different density,
they are cut 24 hrs before processing
in order to allow them to “bloom”.
 Scutching
 It refers to the blow room
operations.
 The resultant is a cotton lap
Carding
The card successively
works on small tufts of
fibres separating or
opening them ,removing a
high percentage of trash
and other foreign matters
collecting the fibre in a
rope-like form called
“sliver” and delivering it
for further processing.
The fibres are made parallel
to each other and their
direction is oriented.
Combing

•Provides more extensive

cleaning than carding

•Removes short fibres

neps and trash so that
the resulting sliver is
clean and lustrous.
 Drawing and roving –first or initial twist
to the yarn is given. Its diameter is 2mm
-3mm

 Spinning-production of yarn by twisting

the yarn. Its of 2 types
4. Open-end spinning
5. Close-end spinning

 Doubling- each yarn has two single

yarns, to make it stronger

 Sizing, Gassing- done to give uniformity

to the yarn
VARIOUS FINISHES OF COTTON
 Mercerization- adds strength, improves lustre, absorbency,
dyeability

 Sanforization-ensures less than 1 % shrinkage

 Moireing- for variable luster and variable pattern

 Glazing-gloss, smoothness and embossed effects

 Stiffening- smoothen, stiffens and strengthens

 Wrinkle resistant permanent press- improves shape-

retension and imparts dip-dry characteristic

 Schreinerizing-adds luster
 Stain repelling-for easy care

 Napping-for softness, warmth and increased absorbency

 Singeing-for smoothness

 Weighting-for bulk

 Insulating-for warmth

 Embossing-for decoration

 Mildew resistant

 Fire-retardant

 Moth-resistant
 ADVANTAGES
 It can be processed into a wide selection of fabrics-
2. Sheer fabrics- cambric,batist chiffon,lawn,organdy and
voile.
3. Medium weight cottons-
broadcloth,drill,flannel,poplin,terry cloth and long cloth.
4. Heavy weight cottons-brocade,corduroy,denim,pique and
velveteen

 Can be mercerized to improve luster,

absorbency,dyeability and strength.

 Textured effects are easily achieved by-

9. Changing yarn structure-high twist yarns,nub yarns,
bouclé yarns, crimped yarn
10. Changing fabric construction- crepes,serersuckers
11. Application of special finishes- embossing and napping

 Can be easily dyed or printed with almost all classes of

dyes.

 Good absorbent, Does not build up static electricity, Good

conductor of heat
 Limitations
 Untreated cotton wrinkles easily

 Susceptible to mildew if left damp

 Flammable

 Takes a long time to dry

SISAL
•The sisal plant has a 7-10 year
life-span and typically produces
200-250 commercially usable
leaves.

•Each leaf contains an average

of around 1000 fibers.

• It is extracted by a process
known as decortication.
 USES

Sisal is used in three grades:

3. The lower grade fiber is

processed by the paper industry
because of its high content of
cellulose and hemicelluloses.

5. The medium grade fiber is used

in the cordage industry for
making: ropes, baler and
binders twine

7. The higher-grade fiber after

treatment is converted into
yarns
LINEN
Linen or flax fibres are
extracted from the stem
or bast of flax plant
Fibres held together by
gummy substance called
as Pectin
Flax fibre basically
composed of Cellulose
 QUALITY AND GRADES
 Countries cultivating flax plant
are
Belgium

Scot

France

Russia

Germany

Countrai flax produces the finest and strongest

yarn from Belgium
 METHODS OF SEPARATION OF
LINEN
• CULTIVATION: April or May
• HARVESTING: By the end of August
4. PREPARATION OF FIBRES:
 Rippling/Threshing – seeds and
leaves removal from stem.
 Retting – Most important process
where stems are left under
moistened condition to decompose
and separation of fibers.
Types of retting :
1. Dew retting
2. Pool or Dam retting
3. Stream retting
4. Vat retting
5. Chemical retting

4. Manufacturing process:
Breaking
Scutching
Hackling (Coming)
Spinning.
CONSTRUCTION OF LINEN FABRICS

 Inelastic so usually break during

weaving process
 Very moist atmosphere is required.
 Generally not knitted because of
a) Inherent stiffness

b)Resistance to being formed

into
 SO, usually blended with cotton or
other man made fibres
END PRODUCTS OF LINEN FARICS
 Apparel fabrics – shirt, skirt,jackets
etc.

 Accessories fabric- pockets,bags etc.

 House hold textiles- bed n table

clothing
etc.
 Industrial textiles- tarpaulins, ropes
etc
 It is very durable, two or three times
stronger then cotton.
 High absobency,smoothness so
comfortable to wear.
 Good resistance to alkalies and
bleaches.
 Easily dyed and printed.
 Withstand high ironing temperature.
 Linen wrinkles easily.
 Lacks flex abrasion n hence shows
wear on crease lines n seams
 Fabrics take long time to dry.
 It is imflammable.
 Susceptible to mildew if left damp.
 It has poor press-crease retention.
Jute
SOURCE
•Jute is one of the strongest
natural fibres
•The jute fibre comes from the
stem and ribbon (outer skin) of the
jute plant.
•The production is concentrated in
Bangladesh, India, China, and
Thailand. It is the second most
important vegetable fibre after
cotton, in terms of usage, global
consumption, production, and
availability.
•It is the second most important
vegetable fibre after cotton, in
terms of usage, global
consumption, production, and
availability
 MANUFACTURING PROCESS
The fibres are first extracted by
retting.
 The retting process consists of

bundling jute stems together and

immersing them in low, running
water.

 There are two types of retting: stem

and ribbon. After the retting
process, stripping begins.

 In the stripping process, non-

fibrous matter is scraped off, then
the workers dig in and grab the
fibres from within the jute stem.
 PROPERTIES
 Jute fibre is 100% bio-degradable and
recyclable and thus environmentally
friendly.
 It is a natural fibre with golden and silky
shine and hence called The Golden Fibre.
 It is the cheapest vegetable fibre procured
from the bast or skin of the plant's stem.
 It has high tensile strength, low
extensibility, and ensures better
breathability of fabrics.
 ADVANTAGES
 good insulating and antistatic properties

 low thermal conductivity

 moderate moisture regain.

 acoustic insulating properties

 no skin irritations.
 DISADVANTAGES
 poor drapability

 Brittleness

 fibre shedding

 yellowing in sunlight

 Jute has a decreased strength when wet

 USES
•It is used as substitute for
hemp

•As binding thread for carpet

and rugs, rug cushions, filler
JUTE MATS with other fibers.

• As a linoleum base

•Made into cheap coarse fabrics

•Heavy bagging.
 COIR

SOURCE
• Coir fibers are found between the husk and the outer shell of a
coconut.

• The individual fiber cells are narrow and hollow, with thick walls
made of cellulose.

The coir is of two types:

7. Brown coir
8. White coir
 MANUFACTURING PROCESS
BROWN COIR
•Brown coir is harvested from fully ripened
coconuts

•The fibrous layer of the fruit is then separated

from the hard shell (manually) by driving the
fruit down onto a spike to split it (De-husking

•The fibrous husks are soaked in pits or in nets

in a slow moving body of water to swell and
soften the fibres

•. The long bristle fibres are separated from the

shorter mattress fibres underneath the skin of
the nut, a process known as wet-milling

•The mattress fibres are sifted to remove dirt

and other rubbish, dried in the sun and packed
into bales
 WHITE COIR
 White coir fibers are harvested from
the coconuts before they are ripe

 The immature husks are suspended

in a river or water-filled pit for up to
ten months.

 During this time micro-organisms

break down the plant tissues
surrounding the fibres to loosen
them - a process known as retting

 Segments of the husk are then

beaten by hand to separate out the RETTING
long fibres which are subsequently
dried and cleaned

 Cleaned fibre is ready for spinning

into yarn using a simple one-
handed system or a spinning wheel.
 PROPERTIES
 Mature brown coir fibers contain more
lignin and less cellulose than fibers such as
flax and cotton and so are stronger but
less flexible

 They are made up of small threads, each

about 1 mm long and 10 to 20
micrometres in diameter

 The fibers are white or light brown in color

and are smoother and finer, but also
weaker
 USES
 Brown coir is used in floor
mats and doormats, brushes,
mattresses, floor tiles and
sacking.

 Used to make twine

 Used to fill mattresses

 The major use of white coir is

in rope manufacture
HEMP

The fiber is one of the

most valuable parts of
the hemp plant.

It is commonly called
"bast", meaning it
grows as a stalk from
the ground
 PROPERTIES
•The inner two fibers of hemp
are more woody, and are more
often used in non-woven items
and other industrial
applications

•Hemp fibers can be 3 to 15

feet long, running the length of
the plant.

•the hemp naturally may be

creamy white, brown, gray,
black or green
 USES

•the manufacture of cordage of varying

tensile strength

•clothing

•nutritional products

•hemp fibers are increasingly used to

strengthen cement
 RAMIE:-
Ramie (Boehmeria nivea) is a flowering plant in the nettle
family native to eastern asia. The true ramie or china grass
also called chinese plant or white ramie is the chinese
cultivated plant.A second type is known as green ramie or
rhea and is believed to originate from malay peninsula.it is
suitable in tropical climate….. Ramie is one of the oldest fibre
crops, having been used for at least six thousand years, and
is principally used for fabric production. It is a bast fibre, and
the part used is the bark of the vegetative stalks. Ramie is
normally harvested two to three times a year but under good
growing conditions can be harvested up to six times per
year.Unlike other bast crops, ramie requires chemical
processing to de-gum the fibre.
 Properties
Ramie is one of the strongest natural fibers. It
exhibits even greater strength when wet. Ramie
fiber is known especially for its ability to hold
shape, reduce wrinkling, and introduce a silky
lustre to the fabric appearance. It is not as durable
as other fibers, and so is usually used as a blend
with other fibers such as cotton or wool. It is
similar to flax in absorbency, density and
microscopic appearance. However it will not dye
as well as cotton. Because of its high molecular
crystallinity, ramie is stiff and brittle and will break
if folded repeatedly in the same place; it lacks
resiliency and is low in elasticity and elongation
potential.
 Uses
Despite its strength, ramie has had limited acceptance
for textile use. The fiber's extraction and cleaning are
expensive, chiefly because of the several steps—
involving scraping, pounding, heating, washing, or
exposure to chemicals. Some or all are needed to
separate the raw fiber from the adhesive gums or
resins in which it is ensheathed. Spinning the fiber is
made difficult by its brittle quality and low elasticity; and
weaving is complicated by the hairy surface of the
yarn, resulting from lack of cohesion between the
fibers. The greater utilization of ramie depends upon
the development of improved processing methods.
•Kapok (Ceiba pentandra) is a tropical
tree of the order Malvales and the family
Malvaceae (previously separated in the
family Bombacaceae), native to Mexico,
Central America and the Caribbean,
northern South America, and (as the variety
C. pentandra var. guineensis) to tropical
west Africa. The word is also used for the
fibre obtained from its seed pods. The tree
is also known as the Java cotton, Java
kapok, or ceiba. It is a sacred symbol in
Maya mythology.
  Uses
 The fibre is light, very buoyant, resilient,
highly flammable and resistant to water.
The process of harvesting and separating
the fibre is labour-intensive and manual.
It cannot be spun but is used as an
alternative to down as filling in
mattresses, pillows, upholstery, teddy
bears, zafus and for insulation. It was
previously much used in life jackets and
similar devices. The fibre has been
largely replaced by man-made materials.
The seeds produce an oil used locally in
soap and that can be used as fertilizer.
  Piña

Piña is a fiber made from the leaves

of a pineapple and is commonly used
in the Philippines. It is sometimes
combined with silk or polyester to
create a textile fabric. The end fabric
is lightweight, easy to care for and
has an elegant appearance similar to
linen
 Major Fiber Properties

 Piña comes from the leaves of the pineapple plant.

"Each strand of the hand scrapped Piña fiber is
knotted one by one to form a continuous filament for
hand weaving into the Piña cloth". The piña fiber is
softer, and has a high luster, and is usually white or
ivory in color.
Production Methods

 Scraping a pineapple leaf to reveal the fibers.

 Since piña is from a leaf, the leaf has to first
be cut from the plant. Then the fiber is pulled
or split away from the leaf. Most leaf fibers are
long and somewhat stiff.
 Uses
 A major use for piña fabric is in the
creation of the Barong Tagalog and
other formal wear that is common in
the Philippines. It is also used for
other table linens, bags, mats and
other clothing items, or anytime that
a lightweight, but stiff and sheer
fabric is needed.