Gillian Faye L.

Lechoco

10-7-15

FD 214- Textile, Fiber, and Fabric Production

Textile Production: Abaca + Mercerized Cotton

From time to time, people have been innovating new textiles to utilize presented resources,
and--- more importantly--- in order to cater to the modern needs of men. There have been new
blends of fibers, even new chemically manufactured ones with new technology to produce them.
Thinking about the production of a certain textile or fabric is easy--- until you do it yourself.
When I got into this project, immediately what came into my mind is mixing natural and
processed fibers together into one textile. Because of their availability in the local stores, I was
caught up with the idea of abaca as the main component, and the mercerized cotton as the
supporting fiber of the content. Before anything else, we must define and describe the following
fibers used in this project.
The main component of this textile is the abaca fiber. According to Albay Agro-Industrial
Development Corporation (ALINDECO) (http://www.alindeco.com/abaca.htm), abaca (Musa
Textilis Nee) --- commercially known as Manila hemp (not to be confused with the true hemp--product of a non-drug cannabis) --- is native to Asia and usually inhabits humid areas, including
our country. Moreover, according to the editor-in-chief Mazharul Islam Kiron of TextileLearner
(http://textilelearner.blogspot.com/2013/04/abaca-fiber-manila-hemp-usesapplication.html),
abaca is a bust fiber, and is produced from the stalk of the plant.
All according to a web article written by a person named Gemma Delmo
(http://www.fareasternagriculture.com/crops/agriculture/abaca-the-philippine-fiber)

and a web

article of ABACA Philippines (http://www.abacaphilippines.com/abaca.php?go=about), the

plants existence in the Philippines even dates back to even before the Spanish occupation in
1521, and has believed to have evolved in the Bicol region in the Philippines. It was three
centuries later that the abaca was given commercial recognition when an American lieutenant of
the US Navy brought a sample of abaca fiber to the US in 1820. Nowadays, even if the industry
had several mishaps, especially in the multinational market platform, abaca is still one of the
most viable agro-commodities in the Philippines.
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When it comes to physical properties, it is said to be three times stronger than coniferous
fiber such as sisal. Plus, abaca is guaranteed to be the strongest among natural fibers. As said
in TextileLearner, abaca fiber possess higher tensile strength and lower elongation in both wet
and dry states when compared to synthetic fibers such as rayon and nylon.
To quote from a research of students K. Vijayalakshmi and Ch.Y.K. Neeraja
(http://www.techscripts.org/sep_2014/sep201404.pdf), abaca is a superior fiber with its high
tensile and folding strength--- as a supporting idea from the previous stated one.
To further support the idea, Dr. Leslie Joy Lanticse-Diaz, chairperson of the Department of
Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering of the University of the Philippines- Diliman,
shared her acquired information with the natural fiber stakeholders at the recently concluded
National Conference on Natural Fibers organized by the Philippine Textile Research Institute
and the Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development, both agencies
of the Department of Science and Technology, in celebration of 2009 as UN-declared
International Year of Natural Fibers. Held at Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City, she presented her
study hoping to include abaca in the automotive industry. The study--- Indigenous Natural Fibers
for Engineering Applications in the Automotive and Construction Industries--- was conducted by
a team of researchers led by Dr. Leslie Diaz herself. (http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/textilenews/philippines/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=80623)
To add up, the research results stated that abaca fiber displayed a tensile strength of up to
970 MPa (megapascal), which means, surprisingly, that 140,686 pounds per square inch of
force is needed to break this fiber---which will be expounded on the procedures during on my
construction of fabric.

Plus, a web article of TV5 (http://www.interaksyon.com/article/77931/bicols-abacaintegration-project-to-be-replicated-in-typhoon-ravaged-visayas) said, to quote it,

The very durable nature of abaca is not the only quality of this natural fiber that makes
it in demand in the market.
Its environment-friendly, biodegradable nature makes manufacturers, especially those
in Europe, to use abaca over synthetic fibers.

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Its tensile strength is even witnessed by Americans long back in 1820. An American naval
officer brought a sample of abaca fiber for testing in the United State, and it proved to have
superior tensile strength over any other known cordage, especially under sea water. This led the
U.S. Department of Agriculture to send its top agricultural and fiber experts to provide impetus in
the production of abaca in the Philippines. It only means that abaca is far more resistant to salt
water decomposition than most vegetable fibers.
As also stated by Dr. Diaz, it was also reported that abaca fiber can reach a maximum of 3
meters that gives it the advantage of length.
Abaca fiber also has great buoyancy. Because I was eager to know more about it, I decided
to test it and make a video out of it (the site is http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x38kuvi).
I first prepared a clear plastic container---in this case, a microwavable container--- filled with
tap water (shown below).

Then, I cut a small piece of abaca fiber from the last abaca fiber from my textile (still attached
to the needle used).

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And from there, I began a personal investigation. The abaca fiber stays on the surface
because of buoyancy, and at the same time creates a surface tension on the water. As you can
see on the picture, the fiber stays floating, and some parts of the fiber forms a meniscus (curve
in the water) with the water (arrows indicate meniscus). This just shows that abaca fiber tends to
float on water. High school science paid off so well here!

Going back to the research of the Vijayalakshmi and Neeraja, they presented a table of
abacas physical properties in comparison with the other natural fibers.

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Abaca stands out when it comes to density, fiber length, tensile strength. Because it is a
cellulosic fiber, abaca is said to have high porosity. It means that the fiber is made up of little
pores. Additionally, the best grades of abaca are fine, having bright luster, light beige in color,
and very strong.
The

manufacturing

of

the

abaca

fiber

is

very

meticulous

process

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QzomhgJ0eE). The plant is being felled or logged first.

Then, the manufacturers separate the leaf stalks into long, wide strips with a tuxying knife. After
which, the strips are being brought to where the stripping of the abaca begins. First, they clip an
end of a layer to a device called hagutan, making sure that it is secure. Next, they pull the
excess end of the layer and strip it off until the fibers remain.
The second component of the textile is mercerized cotton. In accordance to Tom Beaudets
web article (http://fiberarts.org/design/articles/mercerized.html), it is just cotton yarn or fabric
which has been put through a series of processes, primarily to increase luster.
Mercerized cotton is cotton treated with sodium hydroxide to bring out certain properties, and
was first discovered by John Mercer in 1851. He was granted a British patent for his works
pertaining to cotton, linen, and other vegetable fibrous materials when subjected to caustic acid,
sulfuric acid, and other chemicals. When Mercer introduced these processes, the British cotton
trade was not interested and not giving importance for 40 years. However, in 1890, a person
named Horace Lowe added an additional step to the process, and the British cotton industry
decided to take notice in this type of cotton, which is now available in our local craft stores
today. (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-mercerized-cotton.htm)
As what Beaudet had stated, We must keep in mind when making comparisons between
the water absorbency quality of mercerized and unmercerized cotton that the primary reason for
mercerizing cotton is to gain luster. Mercerization starts with gathering the cotton and spinning it
normally, because when cotton is mercerized in a relaxed state, it gains no luster. Because cottons
with long fibers take better to mercerization, the kinds of cotton named Pima, Egyptian, and Sea
Island cotton responds best to the process.
In this case cotton held under specified tension for ten minutes with an application of between
21%-23% caustic soda (NaOH), at room temperature results in the desired luster and increased
tensile strength. Without the tension there is no increased luster. After treatment, the mercerized
cotton is placed into an acidic bath to neutralize it. Once this process is complete, the cotton can be
dyed and knitted, woven, or packed as stand-alone spools of thread.

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Mercerized cotton is also referred to as pearl cotton or pearle cotton, and it is because of the
lustrous finish of the product. Moreover, to quote the wiseGeek web article,
In addition to having rich color saturation and a shimmering appearance, this fabric is also much
stronger than conventional cotton thread. The process shrinks the cotton fibers, tightening and
smoothing the grain of the thread. Because the cotton is preshrunk, mercerized cotton also tends
not to shrink as much as regular cotton, so consumers can be more confident about the fit of
mercerized garments.
So far on the lustrous feature, because the mercerization of cotton changes a little of the fiber
structure, the process also enhances the strength, affinity to dye, and resistance to mildew and
shrinkage. The downside of it is that it is less absorbent than the unmercerized cotton, so it is not
good for cleaning cloths (http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2015/04/knitting-with-cotton-yarn/).
Usually mercerized cotton spools can be bought in spools in skein, and is usually used in
knitting and crochet projects.

Going back, the main reasons why I chose to utilize abaca and mercerized cotton is that: (1)
its availability at the nearest local stores, (2) the interesting features that both fibers possess, (3)
and the sustainability when both are put together.
I got my mercerized cotton in multicolor (Anchor is the brand name, and weighs 40 grams)
and my abaca in a form of a rope (I bought 2 rolls of rope from a local handicraft store). I have
thought of using the process of weaving for the two fibers because crocheting (which was my
first idea) a coarse fiber like abaca would not give the desired results. In the later part, the
process of weaving will be shown.

Usually, the ropes are fastened tightly in a twisted fashion, so what I did is that I unraveled a
roll of rope to reveal the fibers that make up the rope.
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The picture shown above is how an unraveled abaca rope would look like. The rope reveals
that there are some fibers that are red-orange in color--- it is because the fiber came from the
outer layer of the stalk. The light beige and/or white fibers came from the inner layer of the leaf
stalk, and is said to be stronger than the ones from the outer layer.

The disadvantage of using the rope is that the fibers present are shorter than what it should
be like. The fibers from the rope appear to be crimped because of the twist done. Usually the
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abaca fibers in the rope range from approximately 15-25 inches long, so the most convenient
way is to join abaca fibers end-to-end by tying in order to produce a long fiber.

I used the cardboard loom in the weaving process of the textile. I measured a 6x6 square on
the cardboard for the textile, and measured half a centimeter on the top and bottom edges of
the cardboard for the slits where the mercerized cotton will go through. Next, pass the yarn
through the first slit, and make sure to leave at least 3 excess for you to secure it with tape--the yarn should be secured tightly, but not to the point when the cardboard bends inwards. The
tendency of not leaving excess is that when you pass the abaca fiber through the mercerized

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cotton, adjusting the abaca can loosen the yarn. Pass the yarn through the slits until you end up
with something shown above. The mercerized cotton serves as the warps of the textile.
The trickiest part comes next. Tie the end of the long fiber you just made to the first warp
nearest to the slit, and cut the excess fiber. Then, secure a needle with an eye big enough to let
the abaca fiber go through it, and attach the other end of the fiber with it.

Start by passing the abaca fiber over and under the warp yarns with the aid of the needle.
When you reach the end of the first row, begin making the second row, but this time make sure
that it should be the opposite from the first. Also, make sure that second row is snugly place
under the first one. Remember to be careful not to tug the rows too tight because the 2 warp
yarns at each end will draw near to the center of the textile.

In tugging the weft closer to the previous row/s, you can either use a comb or anything that
can bring them closer to the ones made as fast and easy as possible. In my case, whenever my
abaca thread goes short, I cut the part where the needle and the fiber end meets, attach
another set of fibers, then attach the end of the fiber to the needle--- and I begin to weave again.

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Continue weaving until you reach the other end of the square. Secure the end again to the
last warp yarn of the textile (picture below).

To remove the textile out from the cardboard, remove the taped ends and cut the slits
shorter, then begin separating both. After getting the textile, adjust the wefts towards the ends of
the textile, carefully tugging rows of abaca fibers. The excess ends of the warp can be secured
through weaving it carefully into wefts or tying it in place, and then cutting the remaining excess
after.

It couldve been nicer if the used abaca fibers werent short, because it would end up like
mine--- there are tiny knotted balls from the joining of fibers together. What I did is that I
carefully cut the excess with a pair of scissors.
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Now, Ive come to test the textile, of what I think, with the best feature it possesses. A while
ago, it was stated that abaca fiber has great buoyancy. So, Ive made another video
documentation on the textile (the link is http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x38m9wd). As you
can see, even if I was pushing the textile downward, it tends to float upwards, but not fully to the
surface.
If we talk about taking this fabric blend to the fashion industry, and when we say that the
abaca is the main component of the textile, it is best used in barong tagalog, barot saya, and
other things related to native garments. Moreover, it can also be used in gowns for wedding and
for other events that pertains to evening time or to photography uses, since the blend gives off a
bright luster from the abaca. This blend can be bent in any matter to create dimensions, so
garments that portray luxury and structuralism is best for this.
If mercerized cotton is the main component over abaca, then it is best used for sweaters and
cardigans, and for beach and outdoor wear such beach cover-ups. Ive also imagined as a
collarless coat, with the different colors of the mercerized cotton.
In conclusion to the project, it is not easy to be acquainted with the processes of producing a
textile, especially when you are making it by hand. Research is always best done first before
blending any type of fabric. To know about each properties and characteristics of two or more
fibers and how these could contribute to the overall aesthetics of the fabric is essential to textile
production.
To give recommendations to the project, it is best to use the 3-meter long abaca fibers to
avoid little balls from the knots made from joining the fibers. In other words, it is best to use the
fibers not from the rope for a more refined finish.

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Web source/s:

http://www.alindeco.com/abaca.htm
http://textilelearner.blogspot.com/2013/04/abaca-fiber-manila-hemp-usesapplication.html
http://www.fareasternagriculture.com/crops/agriculture/abaca-the-philippine-fiber
http://www.abacaphilippines.com/abaca.php?go=about
http://www.techscripts.org/sep_2014/sep201404.pdf
http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/textile-news/philippines/newsdetails.aspx?

news_id=80623
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/77931/bicols-abaca-integration-project-to-be-

replicated-in-typhoon-ravaged-visayas
http://fiberarts.org/design/articles/mercerized.html
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-mercerized-cotton.htm
http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2015/04/knitting-with-cotton-yarn/

Video/s:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x38kuvi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QzomhgJ0eE
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x38m9wd

University of San Carlos-Talamban Campus

School of Architecture, Fine Arts, and Design

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Abaca-Mercerized Cotton
Blend Fabric

Submitted by:
Gillian Faye L. Lechoco
BFA-FD 1

Submitted to:
Mr. Francis Oliverio
FD 214 teacher

Fabric: abaca-mercerized cotton blend

Composition: 87.5% abaca, 12.5% mercerized cotton
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Manner of production: weaving

Number of warp/s: approximately 200 warps
Number of weft/s: 25 wefts
Production time: 2 days

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