Session 3.

1: Cotton fibre: production and its

properties.

Session 3.2: Linen, Hemp, Jute fibres

Production and properties
 Natural Cellulosic fibres
* Seed Fibres
- Cotton, Kapok (Java cotton), Coir
* Bast Fibres
- Flax/Linen, Hemp, Jute, Ramie
Leaf Fibres
- Sisal, Manila
 Cotton: Seed Fibre
Constitutes 52% of the worldwide demand for
apparel fibre
Pleasing appearance, comfort, easy care,
moderate cost and durability: Ideal for warm
weather clothing, activewearm work clothes,
upholstery, draperies, rugs, towels.
Cotton is also major component of many
blended fabrics.
 Cotton Cultivation
Cotton grows on bushes 3 to 6 feet high.
After the blossom drops off, the boll or
seedpod begins to grow. Inside the boll are
7 to 8 seeds. Each seed can have upto 20000
fibres.
When the boll is ripe, the fluffy white fibers
expand as they grow and eventually split
open the boll.
 Cotton Cultivation
Cotton fibres are picked
by Machine (Harvester)

* Ginning: Cotton fibres are

separated from seeds using
Ginning Machines (Saw gins)

Separated cotton (called Lint)

are pressed into bales (480 lbs)
and sold to spinning mills.
 Physical structure of Cotton fibres
Cotton fibre is a Single cell.
Staple length: ranges from to 2. Important Characteristic for spinning
yarn. Longer fibres are finer and make stronger yarns.
- Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum):
7/8 to 1 in length Native to USA/Central America.
- Long Staple cotton (Gossypium barbadense):
1 5/16 to 1 in length. Best Quality to produce softer, smoother, stronger
and lustrous fabrics.
Native to Egypt. Egyptian cotton, American Pima cotton, Sea island
cotton..
- Short Staple cotton ( Gossypium arboreum):
Less than . Produced mainly in India, Eastern Asian countries (China,
Pakistan..)
 Cotton Microscopic Structure
Cross section of a kidney bean shape.
Distinctive parts: Cuticle, Primary Cell wall, Secondary cell wall, Lumen.
Lumen: Central canal which carries nutrients to the developing fibres.
Cuticle: Waxlike protective film covering Primary cell wall.
Primary/Secondary cell wall is made up of layers of cellulose. The
cellulose layers are composed of fibrils arranged in a spiral that reverse
directions.
Reverse spirals in the secondary wall cause the fibers to twist. These
ribbonlike twists ( Called Convolutions) charaterise cotton.
These ribbonlike natural twists enables fibers to cling to one another and
thus Short staple yarn spinning with cotton is relatively easy.
Cotton Microscopic Structure
Cotton fibre chemical composition
RAW COTTON COMPONENTS:
80-90% Cellulose
6-8% Water
0.5 - 1% Waxes and fats
0 - 1.5% Proteins
4 - 6% Hemicelluloses and pectin
1 - 1.8% Ash
 Properties of Cotton: Durability
- Medium strength fibre with breaking tenacity of 3.5 to 4
gram/denier.
- Specific gravity of 1.52 ( Heavier than natural and synthetic
fibers)
- 1020% stronger when wet. When wet, fibrils (Layers of
Cellulose in secondary wall) untwist and align along the fibre
axis resulting in higher strength when wet.
- Abrasion resistance is good: Heavy fabrics are more abrasion
resistanct than thinner fabrics.
- Fiber elongation is low (3%) with low elasticity.
- Cotton can be Mercerised to have higher strength/better lustre.
 Appearance Retention
Cotton has low resilience/ Low elasticity.
Easily wrinkle and do not recover well.
Cotton fibres swell on wetting and shrink in
length. Dimensional stability is not good.
Elastic recovery is moderate (75% on 2 to 5%
stretch).
Above drawbacks can be improved by Wrinkle
free finishes / Shrinkage control during fabric
finishing.
 Comfort
Absorbency and Moisture regain:
- Cotton has a good absorbency. Moisture regain under
standard condition is 8%.
- Hence comfortable for hot and humid weathers.
- However, absorb more moisture in cool, damp conditions
feeling wet or clammy.
- Cotton is non Thermoplastic and doesnot melt. Exposure
to higher temperature (during ironing) cause gradual
decomposition.
- Cotton conducts electricity and thus Static electric
charges (like in synthetic fibers especially polyester)
donot build up in dry weather.
 Chemical properties
Acids: Cotton is degraded by acids.
Alkalis/Bases: Cotton has strong resistance to alkalis. Hence
can be washed with strong detergents and requires no special
care during washing amd drying.
Bleaching Agents ( Chlorine bleach, Hydrogen peroxide
bleach): Cotton can be bleached under controlled conditions.
If uncontrolled, cotton is degraded.
Dry Cleaning Agents ( Organic solvents, White
petrol/Perchloroethylene): No degrading effects. Can be used
safely to remove stains.
 Summary of the Performance of cotton in apparel and furnishing
fabrics.
Aesthetics Attractive
Luster Matte
Drape Soft to stiff
Texture Pleasant
Hand Smooth to rough
Durability Good
Abrasion resistance Good
Tenacity Good
Elongation Poor
Comfort Excellent
Absorbency Excellent
Thermal retention Poor
Appearance retention Moderate
Resiliency Poor
Dimensional stability Moderate
Elastic recovery Moderate
Recommended Care Machine wash and Tumble dry ( apparel)
Steam or dry clean with caution (furnishings)
 Recent Developments in Cotton
Organic cotton: No synthetic commercial pesticides
or fertilizers are used while cultivation.
BT Cotton (Bacillus thuringiensis) : Genetically
modified cotton with high resistance to pests hence
less need of pesticides.
Naturally coloured cotton: Naturally creamy white
in colour but can also be grown naturally in brown,
Rust, red, beige and green colour. However, fibre
quality is not good and further research in better
breeds is ongoing.
 Flax: Bast Fibre
Bast fibres come from the stem of the plant,
near the outer edges.
Flax is one of the oldest textile fibre.
Today flax is a prestige fibre due to its
limited production and relatively high cost.
Produced mainly in Western europe, Russia,
Australia, New zealand.
 Linen fiber production
Once plant mature, they are pulled out. To obtain fibre,
bundles of plants are steeped in water so that the tissue or
woody bark surrounding the hairlike flax fibre will
decompose. This loosens the gum that binds the fibre to stem.
This decomposition is called RETTING.
Breaking: This breaking operation reduces the stalk to small
pieces of bark.
Scutching: This operation releases the fiber from the stalk.
Hackling (Combing): This operation straightens the flax fibre,
separates short from long fiber and leaves the longer fiber in
parallel formation leading to final spinning of flax yarns.
 Linen Fiber properties
Length can vary from 5 to 20.
The crosssection is irregular.
Specific gravity of 1.52( same as cotton. Heavier
than many natural and synthetic fibers)
Compared to cotton, it is smooth and straight
fiber. More lustrous than cotton.
Composed of 71% Cellulose ( Similar to cotton).
However, It is stronger than cotton and infact the
strongest among natural fibres due to its high
crystallinity and greater orientation.
 Flax fibre properties: Durability
Flax is strongest among natural fibers ( 3.5 g/d
when dry and 6.5g/d when wet).
Becomes stronger when wet by 20%
Flat Abrasion resistance is very good because
of its high orientation and crystallinity
Very low elongation and poor elasticity.
Repeatedly folding the linen at the same place
will break the fibre/fabric
 Aesthetics
Flax has a high natural luster
It is very stiffer in drape and harsher in hand.
However, the above drawbacks can be
minimised with special finishes.
 Comfort
Flax has high moisture regain ( 12%).
Good conductor of electricity hence no static
electric charges build up.
Excellent fabric for warm weather wear.
 Appearance retention
Linen has poor resiliency, elasticity, elastic
recovery. Hence crease/wrinkle heavily.
 Chemical properties
Similar to Cotton.
Acids: Flax is degraded by acids.
Alkalis/Bases: Flax has strong resistance to alkalis. Hence can
be washed with strong detergents and requires no special care
during washing amd drying.
Bleaching Agents ( Chlorine bleach, Hydrogen peroxide
bleach): Flax can be bleached under controlled conditions. If
uncontrolled, cotton is degraded.
Dry Cleaning Agents ( Organic solvents, White
petrol/Perchloroethylene): No degrading effects. Can be used
safely to remove stains.
Summary of the Performance of Flax in apparel and furnishing
fabrics.
Aesthetics Attractive
Luster High
Texture Thick and Thins
Hand Stiff
Durability Good
Abrasion resistance Good
Tenacity Good
Elongation Poor
Comfort High
Absorbency High
Thermal retention Moderate
Appearance retention Poor
Resiliency Poor
Dimensional stability Moderate
Elastic recovery Poor
Recommended Care Dry clean or Machine wash ( apparel)
Steam or dry clean with caution (furnishings)
 HEMP FIBRE

Depending on the processing used to remove the fiber from

the stem, the hemp naturally may be creamy white, brown,
gray, black or green.

Properties
it is yellowish brown fibre
Hemp fibers can be 3 to 15 feet long, running the length of
the plant.
Characteristics of hemp fibre are its superior strength and
durability, resistance to ultraviolet light and mold, comfort
and good absorbancya

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 Hemp Fibre
Resembles Flax in Macroscopic and
Microscopic appearance.
Fibers can be very long 3 to 15 feet.
It is 78% Cellulose
Has only 5% elongation. Lowest of the natural
fibers.
Its high strength makes it suitable for
Cordages, Twines and threads.
Summary of the Performance of Hemp in apparel and
furnishing fabrics.
Aesthetics Good
Luster Matte
Texture Thick and Thins
Hand Stiff
Durability Moderate
Abrasion resistance Moderate
Tenacity Good
Elongation Poor
Comfort High
Absorbency High
Thermal retention Moderate
Appearance retention Poor
Resiliency Poor
Dimensional stability Poor
Elastic recovery Poor
Recommended Care Dry clean or Machine wash
JUTE FIBRE

Jute is one of the cheapest natural fibres and is

second only to cotton in amount produced and
variety of uses. Jute fibres are composed
primarily of the plant materials cellulose and
lignin .
Properties
Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fibre that can
be spun into coarse, strong threads.
It is thus a ligno -cellulosic fibre that is partially
a textile fibre and partially wood.
The plant grows up to a height of 2.5m and its
fibre length is about 2m.
it is generally used in geo textiles.
it has a good resistance to micro organisms and
insects.
it has low wet strength, low elongation and
inexpensive to produce

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 Jute Fibre
Jute is 68% Cellulose ( Main component of plant fibre) and balance is Lignin
(Main component of Wood). Hence it is Ligno-cellulosic fibre.
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. Therefore, jute is very suitable in agricultural commodity bulk
packaging.
It helps to make best quality industrial yarn, fabric, net, and sacks. It is one of
the most versatile natural fibres that has been used in raw materials for
packaging, textiles, non-textile, construction, and agricultural sectors. The best
source of jute in the world is the Bengal Delta Plain in the Ganges Delta, most
of which is occupied by Bangladesh.
Advantages of jute include good insulating and antistatic properties, as well as
having low thermal conductivity and a moderate moisture regain.
Other advantages of jute include acoustic insulating properties and manufacture
with no skin irritations.
 Jute Fibre..
*Some noted disadvantages include poor drapability
and crease resistance, brittleness, fibre shedding, and
yellowing in sunlight.
* Jute has a decreased strength when wet, and also
becomes subject to microbial attack in humid
climates.
Jute: Retting Process
Jute: Fibre Extraction
Jute: Fibre washing and drying
RAMIE FIBRE
Ramie is one of the oldest fibre crops,
having been used for at least six
thousand years. It is also known as
china grass.

Properties
Ramie requires chemical processing to
de-gum the fibre.
it is fine absorbent ,quick drying fibre,
is slightly stiff and possesses high
natural lustre.
its plant height is 2.5m and its strength
is eight times more than cotton.

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COIR FIBRE
Fibre mechanically extracted from dry
mature coconut husk after soaking.

It is long, hard and strong fibre but with

lower softness, lower water absorption
capacity, and shorter life than long
retted fibre.

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