FIBRE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

UNIT - I
1. What is a textile fibre?
A textile fibre is characterized by fineness, flexibility and a high ratio of length to thickness.

2. What is natural fibre?

A fibre produced naturally is called natural fibre. It may be animal, vegetable origin.

3. What is regenerated fibre?

A fibre produced from naturally occurring fibre forming polymer by a process of regeneration to
the original polymer structure. Ex: viscose rayon.

4. What is synthetic fibre?

A fibre produced from polymer built by synthetic materials from chemical compounds.
Ex: Polyester, Nylon, Polyurethane.

5. Give some of the natural fibres?

a) Hair fibres - Alpaca, Mohair, Sheeps
b) Cotton, Kapok, Jute, Flax, ramie etc.

6. What are staple fibres.

Textile fibres having limited length are called staple fibres. Synthetic fibres are cut to required
length 36, 40mm are termed as staple fibres.

7. What is multi filament yarn?

A yarn having several filaments is called the multi filament yarn. The no of filaments depend
upon the no of fine holes in the spinnerette. Ex: 30, 36, 24 filaments in polyester yarn.

8. What is yarn count in English / British System?

The no of hanks (840 yard = 1 hank) in one pound weight of yarn gives the yarn count in English
system.

9. What is Tex count?

Weight in grams for 1000 meters of a yarn is called its Tex count

10. What is polymer?

The fiber forming substance is called polymer. Other names for polymer are long chain
molecule, giant molecule etc.

11. What is mer weight?

The molecular weight of a repeat unit of a polymer is called “Mer weight”
Ex: Polyethylene – 28 in mer weight.

12. What is degree of polymerization?

It is expressed as a number. This indicates the average number of repeat units in polymer
molecule. Ex: cotton-5000; Nylon-200.

13. What are Oligomers?

Oligomer is a molecule of low DP upto 10. Oligos means some and mer means units. Dimer-two
monomeric units and trimer - 3 monomeric units.

14. What is homopolymer?

A polymer having one type of monomer having same chemical structure.

15. Mention various techniques of spinning man made fibres.

Man made fibres can be produced by (1) Wet spinning (2) Dry spinning (3) Melt
spinning processes.
16. What is wet spinning?
The polymer is dissolved in a solvent and extruded through a spinneret into a coagulating bath
or regenerating bath, containing specific chemicals is called wet spinning.

17. What is dry spinning?

The polymer is dissolved in a solvent. The dope is filtered and pumped through a spinnerette
into a hot air chamber. The yarn solidifies and the solvent evaporates and reused.

18. What is melt spinning?

The polymer is heated and the molten polymer is forced through the holes of a spinnerette. The
filament yarn is cooled, solidifies and manufactured as filament yarn.

19. What is dope dyed fibre?

The colour or pigment is mixed uniformly in the polymer melt and a coloured fibre is produced
which is called the dope dyed fibre.
20. Why man made fibres are drawn?
All synthetic fibres are stretched. The just spun fibre is too weak and called undrawn yarn
(UDY). Stretching aligns the molecules parallel to fibre axis and improves yarn strength.

21. What is spin finish?

A thin layer of spin finish oil is applied to the filament yarn before winding. The yarn becomes
more flexible and reduces the static charge generation, during normal processing.

22. What is “orientation” in textile fibres?

Orientation is the alignment of molecules with respect to the fibre axis.

23. What is Crystallinity in textile fibre?

It is the extent to which the molecules within a fibre is arranged in an orderly manner to each
other.

24. Give crystalline, Amorphous content for any two fibres

a) Cotton – 65-70% crystalline; 35-30% Amorphous
b) Nylon – very crystalline : 65-85%

UNIT-II
1. Mention any 4 cotton producing countries.
The important cotton producing countries are USA, China, India, Pakistan, Egypt, & Sudan.

2. Write the conditions of growth of a cotton plant?

1. Cotton requires black soil or red soil and alluvial sand. 2. Requires 6 to 7 months of warm
weather, Sunshine and moisture 3. An average of 3 to 5 inches of rain fall during active growth.

3. Why hand picking is preferred?

a. All bolls do not mature at a time.
b. Mechanical picking collects trash, leaves & stem.
c. High investment is required as such hand picking is preferred.

4. Mention the factors that affect cotton yield.

a. Timely planting b. Fertilizers addition
c. Healthy seeds d. Timely picking

5. What are daily growth rings?

As the cotton fibre grows to its full length, fibre wall is thickened by layers of cellulose deposits
inside the fibre. This is called the daily growth ring.

6. Write any one special property of cotton?

a. Convolutions in cotton, ranging 40-60/cm.
b. Convolutions gives inter- fibre friction and helps in spinning.

7. What is immature cotton?

If the cellulose deposit layers are stopped due to insects, pests, diseases etc, the cell wall
becomes thin, lumen is wide. Such cotton is immature cotton.

8. What is half mature cotton?

The cotton which is not fully mature or immature is half mature cotton. It is partially developed
cotton fibre.

9. Mention the physical structure of cotton?

a. Cuticle b. Primary wall c. Secondary wall d. Lumen

10. Write the importance of secondary wall in cotton?

The cellulose wall is the main bulk of fibre. The cellulose layers spirals within the fibre and has
S1, S2, S3 layers. This gives strength and stability to the fibre.

11. Mention the commercial classifications of cotton?

They are a. Sea Island cotton b. Egyptian cotton
c. American cotton d. Indian cotton e. Chinese cotton.

12. Mention how cotton is graded?

Cotton grading is based on a) Cotton staple length b) Quality characteristics like colour, trash
content and ginning quality.

13. What is meant by trash content in cotton?

Cotton contains leaves, stem, bark, broken seeds and dust. They are called trash. The trash
content varies and ranges between 2 to 8%.

14. What do you mean by micronaire value?

 It is a quantitative measure of cotton fineness. It is given as the micrograms per inch length of
cotton fibre on an average. (Mg/inch=10-6 gram per inch of cotton)

15. Mention the chemical composition of cotton?

They are a) Cellulose –94% b) Protein –1.3
c) Ash- 1.2% d) Oil & Wax –0.6 e) Sugar, pigments – 0.3
f) Other substance – 2.6

16. Write the basic repeating unit in cotton cellulose?

The repeating unit is cellulose unit having two beta glucose units. (c6H10O5)

17. What is degree of polymerization?

Cotton cellulose consists of 5000 cellobiose units and this number is called its degree of
polymerization.

18. Write any two insects that affect cotton plant?

a) Pink boll worm b) Spotted boll worm c) Cotton boll weevil.

19. Mention the strength of a cotton fibre?

The dry strength is 20-44 grams / Tex and its wet strength is 10% more

20. Mention the various diseases affecting cotton plant

a) Seedling diseases b) Root diseases
c) Leaf and stem diseases d) Boll rot

21. What are convolutions in cotton?

The natural twist in cotton is called convolutions. It ranges from 40-60 per cm. This helps in
spinning and improves interfibre fiction.

22. Mention the effects of dilute mineral acid on cotton.

Cold, but dilute acids like HCl, H2SO4 do not harm cotton, if washed immediately and thoroughly.

23. Mention the effects of concentrated mineral acid on cotton?

Concentrated mineral acids destroy the fibre easily. The fibre loses strength, and become weak
that it crumbles to powder.

24. Write any 2 uses of cotton.

(a) Used as surgical cotton (b) Used as dress wear, inner garments
(c) Used as serving threads, tapes etc.

25. Cotton the king of fibres why?

a. It is the natural and natures economic fibre.
b. Cotton can be washed and cleaned. It is a hygiene fibre.
c. It is comfortable as dress wears for summer

26. What do you mean by “bast fibres?

The fibre that are removed from the stem of certain plants are called bast fibres.

27. Mention the jute producing countries?

India and Bangladesh are the leading producers. China and Brazil are the next producers.

28. Write the conditions necessary for the growth of Jute?

a. Jute grows in low lying, slightly acidic, rich alluvial soil.
b. It requires hot and moist climate.

29. What is meant by retting of Jute?

Retting is the process, by which the fibres are loosened by softening the gummy substances. It
helps in easy removal of fibres from the bark.

30. Mention the different methods of retting.

They are 1. Dew retting 2. Stagnant water retting 3. Running water retting 4. Chemical
retting

31. Write the major flax producing countries?

The major flax producing countries are China, Russia, France, Egypt and Belgium.

32. Write the soil and climatic conditions for the flax growth?
Flax requires rich well ploughed soil, enriched for six years. Plain land, soft and fresh water is
necessary. A cool and damp climate gives good growth and quality of fibre.

33. Mention the sequence of processes in flax extraction.

They are a. Rippling b. Retting c. Drying d. Breaking
e. Scotching and f. Hackling
34. What is Rippling?
It is the removal of leaves and seeds, by passing the stalks through a coarse comb.
35. What is hackling in flax extraction.
The flax fibre is straightened by hackling using combs. Long and short fibres are separated by
this process.

36. Mention any two properties of flax?

It is a strong fibre due to very crystalline polymer system. Flax is very absorbent like cotton. The
strength is 3 times the cotton fibre.

37. Mention the longitudinal, cross sectional appearance of flax?

Flax resembles the appearance of bamboo poles. The nodes or cross marking is clearly seen.
The cross section is polygonal or many sided in shape. Lumen is seen as a small dot.

38. Mention the special property of flax.

a. Flax is lustrous at all times
b. Strongest natural fibre, 3 times the cotton.

39. Write any two uses of flax?

a. Used for paper currency and fine writing paper
b. Used as summer suitings and garments
c. Used as face towel and table cloths.

40. Mention any four minor bast fibres?

They are a. Ramie b. Hemp c. Sunn hemp

UNIT – III
1. Write any few major animal fibres?
They are wool, rabbit hair, camel hair, silk and spider silk.

2. What is keratinous fibre?

The main constituent in hair fibres is the protein called keratin and are keratinous fibres.

3. Write major silk producing countries?

Major producers of silk are China, India and Japan.

4. Mention the various divisions in silk industries?

The major divisions are a) Mulberry culture b) Seri culture c) Silk reeling d) Silk throwing e)
Manufacture as fabrics.

5. What is meant by “Reeled silk”?

The silk filament is unwound from its cocoon by reeling. The cocoons are boiled first and reeled
from hot water.

6. What is meant by silk cocoon?

The silk worm lays silk filament in crossing arcs of a circles around itself and this continues for 2
to 3 days, and a cocoon is formed.

7. What is charka silk?

The silk reeling is done by a hand operated machine called charka. It is practiced as a cottage
industry in India.

8. What is thrown silk?

Reeled silk is not suitable for weaving or knitting. It is converted to silk thread suitable for
weaving. This process is called silk throwing and thus required type of silk yarn is produced.

9. Mention any four types of thrown silk yarn?

They are a) Singles b) Tram c) Voile d) Georgette e) Crepe etc.

10. What are wild silk? Give examples?

Wild silk grows on the leaves of oak tree of shrub type, and is not cultivated. Examples are a)
Tussur silk b) Eri silk c) Muga silk.

11. What is meant by spun silk?

Waste silk collected from cut cocoons, silk waste is cut to smaller lengths. It is degummed,
carded, and spun into yarn just like cotton spinning. It is called spun silk yarn.

12. What is scroop characteristic of silk?

When silk is treated with dilute acetic acid and dried, it emits crackling sound, when squeezed
and this is called scroop.

13. Mention the chemical composition of silk?

The composition of silk in a) Fibroin – 62 to 67% b) Sericin gum – 22 to 25% c) Moisture – 10 to 11%
d) Fat, mineral – 1 to 2%.

14. Write any two uses of silk?

 a) Used as Sarees, dhotis as festive dress.
b) Used as Shawls, Ties and bed coverings etc.

15. Write any four wool producing countries?

Major wool producing countries are a) Australia b) Former USSR c) New Zealand d) China.

16. Mention the factors that affect quality of wool?

The wool quality is determined by the a) breeding climate b) food c) general care and d) health
of the sheep.

17. Mention the wool classification by sheep?

They are a) Merino wool b) Medium wool c) Long wool d) Crossbred wool or Carpet wool.

18. Mention the classification of wool by fleece?

They are a) Lambs wool b) Hogget wool c) Whether wool d) Pulled wool e) Dead wool.

19. Write the two systems for grading wool?

The two standard systems for wool grading are (1) United States System (Blood system-fine half
blood etc) (2) British System (Numerical System).

20. What is worsted yarn?

Fine and better wool grade is used for manufacturing fine yarn called worsted yarn. It is used for
suitings, shirtings etc.

21. What is woolen yarn?

Woolen yarns are made from short wool. It is coarse, bulky and soft, used for making carpets,
and less expensive fabrics.

22. What is sorting and grading of wool?

A sheep contains various quality of wool. There are 14 different wool grades in the body of a
sheep. The grader sorts out the various grades separately by touch and feel. It is called wool sorting
and thus wool is graded.

23. What is meant by scouring of wool?

Raw wool contains lot of dirt and grease. Wool is treated in mild alkaline solution to remove dirt
and grease. It is called scouring.

24. Mention different methods of “dyeing wool”?

Wool is dyed in different forms such as a) Stock dyeing b) Top dyeing c) Yarn dyeing d)
Fabric dyeing.

25. Mention the physical structure of wool.

The wool consists of 1) epidermis or cuticle 2) Cortex 3) Medulla.

26. What is virgin wool?

Virgin wool is the “new wool” from a sheeps fleece. It is spun, woven, felted or used first time is
called Virgin Wool.

27. What is “recycled wool”?

The wool recovered from unused or used materials is called recycled wool. Wool is recovered
from soft waste, hard waste and fibres from fabric waste.

28. Mention the importance of wool marks.

To have clear impression and belief to the customer about the wool fibre used in the article, the
International bodies for wool used to insist to label their product on the garment. It is called wool marks.

29. What is meant by felting of wool?

The irreversible Shrinkage of wool fabric is called felting. Felting reduces the length, breadth and
thickness of wool fabric.

30. Write any two uses of wool?

a) Used as apparels such as suits, winter dresses.
b) Used as household blankets, carpets, furnishings etc.