Most Common Fabrics and Materials

Most Common Fabrics and Materials

Who knew there were so many types of material and fabric out there to choose from? From crafts to creating lovely pieces of clothing, learn the most popular types of fabric and material and learn what people are using them for on a daily basis.

It’s All About Satin

Satin is soft, luxurious, and comes in a variety of solid colors to delight anyone using them. Commonly used for loose-fitting blouses and breezy skirts, satin creates a conversation piece when it is worn. Romantic and breezy or upscale and chic, sation is a versatile type of material that is easy to work with, albeit a bit pricey. However, it’s worth every penny. In crafts, homemade satin flowers or journal covers create an added touch to any type of project.

Demin, Denim, Denim

Demin flowers to be worn in the hair are a hot current trend, and with denim coming in so many colors today, the durable material is great for book covers and heavy winter blankets as well. With demin the possibilities are endless, and everything from bookbags to laptop covers can be made out of this great fabric. Classic colors are all the rage, in washed, average blue, and dark blue colors.

What About Polyester?

This type of fabric is so great to have around because of how cheap it is. Ideal for crafting fabric flowers, polyester comes in a large variety of colors and textures, making it a cheap alternative to other pricey materials. Since it’s durable and easy to use for many projects from making a blouse to crafting new curtains, polyester continues to be a popular breed of material in the crafting and sewing genre. Polyester is also great for beginning crafters as it is cheap to purchase and durable for many types of home projects.

Silk for Luxury

Who doesn’t love silk? Silk is soft, shiny, and sweet, making it the ideal fabric for everything comfortable and cozy. From making pillow covers to bedsheets, silk is a small bit of luxury to have in the home. Available in beautiful flowing solid colors, silk is wonderful for creating comfortable and elegant clothing pieces like shorts, pants, and blouses. While silk does sit on the pricey side, it wears well on nearly everyone and is versatile in use. Silk is perfect for creating upscale pieces and to make a statement on a date or in the workplace.

Lace Has Its Place

Lace is all the rage in today’s fashion and is present in everything from fashion accessories to clothing pieces themselves. From solid lace overshirts to lace-inspired headbands and necklaces, lace is the perfect accessory for any outfit. In crafts silk is a great accent to add to curtains, pillows, scrapbook projects, and other craft ideas. A perfect layering piece, popular silk colors are cream, beige, white, and black. Lace can be found in neon colors as well for fashion-forward individuals, and comes in a variety of modern styles.

Sequined Material for a Statement

Material can be purchased entirely covered in sequins to create beautiful shirts and skirts. Sequined material can be found in animal prints and solid colors, as well as stripes. From neon colors to simple gold and silver, sequined material is best suited for solid clothing pieces that aim to make a statement in their wear. A durable material, sequined fabric is also great for crafting and cover pieces, such as book covers and liners for homemade bags. Sequined material is a bit pricey, but the many uses that can come of it make it a material that any person can en

Textile Types and Fabrics

Textile Types and Fabrics

Textiles/fabrics are made from different fibers. The main kinds of fiber materials include the natural fibers and the man made fibers. Natural fibers are made from animal and plant materials. The fabric’s quality and texture usually depends on how the different fibers are treated and processed, be it natural or synthetic.

There are a great number of animal fibers that are commonly used in textile production. Most animal fibers are light in weight, fine, extremely soft and also very warm.

Angora wool is got from the different breeds of Angora rabbits and goats. The wool that is harvested is usually very little and cannot be used to produce mass amounts of textile and is therefore at times mixed with other kinds of fibers to help reduce on the cost.

Camel hair is harvested from the Alpaca, Llama, Vicuna and particular breeds of camels. The wool got from the Vicuna is some of the finest and most expensive fibers available.

Cashmere is produced from the undercoat of the Kashmir goat that is popular in China, Mongolia and Tibet.

Wool is got from the fleece of sheep. Wool tends to vary according to different grades. This is because sheep produce their wool according to the way in which they have adopted with a particular environment and its conditions. Because of the varying grades of wool, the fibers can be put to various uses for instance the coarse fibers can be used in production of blankets, carpets while the softer and finer fibers can be used for baby’s clothes, undergarments or any other product that the producer may desire.

Silk has the finest quality in animal fibers. Silk contains fiber fibroin that is secreted form silkworm larva and sericin that holds the fibers together. It is obtained from the silkworm’s unwound cocoon. It is very absorbent and therefore dyes easily.

The most common plant fibers are cotton and linen
Cotton is a soft plant fiber and can be used in the production of materials for any use. The materials produced from cotton are extremely comfortable, smooth, with the best absorbing qualities. For these reasons, cotton is commonly used in the production of garments.

Linen has the same properties as cotton. However, it is found to be much stronger than cotton and is made from flax plant’s stalk and also isn’t as elastic as cotton. It is also able to dye easily.

The synthetic fibers that are usually produced include nylon and polyester. They are both strong and able to stretch better than the natural fibers. To help improve on quality of fabrics, the synthetic fibers are usually mixed with the natural fibers.
Designing textiles
Textiles go through very long production processes before they are even ready to be printed. Textiles are designed in number of ways that help add colors, patterns and designs to the fabric. These include including use of dyes and colors, embroidery.

Embroidery consists adding stitching of threads onto the fabric. This can be done using various colors of threads and other materials such as embellishments, sequins in order to make the material look more beautiful and attractive.

Designing textiles can also be done by individuals, especially those who are in the fashion industry. To be able to capture the best designs on textiles, one can either sketch out designs from personal inspiration or even make these designs using the computer using graphic design techniques. The designs are then sent to the mill where the designs can be added to fabric. If the print needs corrections, then the designer can work on it further before sending it back to the mill. Once you have got the print as perfectly as you want it, then you can finally have the printed fabric mass produced.
Fibers can be woven, knitted, laced or even braided depending on what its end use will be. The design of the fabric produced also widely depends on the materials end use.

Textile Analysis for Forensic Testing

Textile Analysis for Forensic Testing

Textile as used in Forensic Evidence

Fibers represent one of the forensic evidences known as trace evidence.

The forensic examiners must handle a victim with care, to minimize fiber loss. Retrieving the victim's clothing as soon as possible is very necessary to prevent as much fiber loss as possible. Fibers are typically collected using adhesive tape.

The following details are particularly noted when analysing fibers. This helps to determine the source of the fibers.

1. Fiber Type: The presence of less common fibers at a crime scene or on the clothing of victim or suspect increases its significance.

2. Fiber Colors: It greatly influences the significance of fiber comparison. Fading and discoloration further adds significance to a fiber association.

3. Number of Fibers: The greater the number of fibers on the body of a suspect or victim, the more is the likely hood of a direct contact between individuals, however converse may not be true.

4. Fabric type: Loosley knit or woven fabric or new fabric shed more fibers.

Distinguishing Linen from Cotton

The Following are the basic differences on the basis of which we can distinguish Linen from cotton:


1. Linen is about 20% more heavy than cotton.

2. It has a leathery feeling that is absent in cotton .

3. Cotton feels warmer(about 15-30% warmer) and holds heat better than linen.

4. On holding linen against light, the threads and the fibers composing the threads appear uneven and streaked as it is not possible to make linen yarn as uniform as cotton yarn.

5. On burning a linen thread, the fibers lie in the same position as before with no change except the scorched appearance. Burning a cotton thread causes the fibers to spread like a tuft.

6. Linen absorbs oil much better than cotton. To distinguish Linen with cotton in a piece of fabric, first remove all the impurities by washing and boiling. Then when if the fabric is dipped in oil, the linen fibers look transparent if held against the light. The Cotton remains nearly opaque.

7. Linen stands the action of sulphuric acid better than the cotton. To check a blend, first remove all the impurities then dip in con. sulphuric acid for a minute or two. Wash in water and dry on a blotting paper. All that remains on the blotting paper is linen. The cotton almost immediately dissolves in acid.

 

Chemical Identification of Silk

Please see the following link for details on chemical identification of silk.

Fiber Identification - Burning Test- Man-made Fibers

Viscose Rayon

All viscose including High Wet Modulus scorch and ignite quickly when brought near the flame. Like cotton they burn quickly with yellow flame when in the flame. When removed from the flame they continue to burn. There is no afterglow unlike cotton. The smell is that of burning paper. They leave a light gray and feathery ash.

Acetate Rayon ( And Triacetate Rayon)

When brought near the flame, it fuses away from flame turning black. When in the flame, it flames quickly. The fabric puckers, sputters and melts. It drips like burning tar. When removed from the flame, it continues to burn and melt. It smells like vinegar. It leaves a brittle hard, irregular black ash which is difficult to crush.

Nylon

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Nylon fuses and shrinks away from the flame when brought near the flame. In flame, it burns slowly without melting. When removed from flame the flame diminishes and tends to die out. It has somewhat pungent odor. It leaves a hard, round, tough and gray bead.

Aramid ( Nomex)

When brought near the flame, it shrinks away from the flame. When in the flames it puckers and chars. When removed from flame, it extinguishes by itself. It has no smell and it leaves a hard black bead.

Polyester

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Polyester fuses and shrinks away from flame. When in flame, it burns slowly with melting. When removed from the flame, it burns with difficulty. It has slightly sweetish smell. It leaves a hard round brittle, black bead.

Acrylics

Orlon, Acrilan and Creslan and Zefran fuse and melt away from Flame when brought near the flame. When in flame Orlon flames rapidly. The fiber puckers, sputters and melts. Acrilan flames rapidly and melts. Creslan flames and melts and Zefran sputters slightly and flames. When removed flame all of acrylics continue to burn and melt. Orlon has a slightly burning meat-like smell. Acrilan has a buring steak smell. Creslan has sharp sweet smell and Zefran has a turmeric like smell. Orlon, Acrilan and Cresla have hard, brittle and irregular black bead. Zefran has irregular black ash that can be crushed easily.

Modacrylics

Verel and SEF fuse and shrink away from the flame when approached near a flame. When in flame, Verel burns very slowly with melting. SEF shrinks, melts and smolders. When removed from flames, all modacrylics are self extinguishing. Verel has a gunpower smell whereas SEF has a sharp sweet smell. Verel leaves a hard and irregular black bead whereas SEF leaves a hard and irregular black bead.

Spandax

Fuses but doesn’t shrinks away from the flame when approached near the flame. When in flame, it burns with melting. It has an acrid smell. It leaves a soft, fluffy black bead.

How to Identify Constituent Fibre Percentage in a Blend-1

Blend of Polyester/Cotton (viscose)

1. Take 0.5 to 1.0 gms of blend sample, carefully weighed, and put it in a flask.

2. Add 75% (w/w) Sulphuric Acid (M:L::1:200).

3. Put in a water bath for one hour at 50+-5 deg C.

4. Filter it, whatever is left is polyester.

5. Wash it thoroughly.

6. Neutralise it with Dilute solution of Ammonia

7. Dry at 110 deg C, cool and weigh to find the Percentage of Polyester and the other cellulosic component.

Blend of Cotton/Viscose

1. Take 0.5 to 1.0 gms carefully weighed sample and put it in 60% w/w Sulphuric Acid. Keep material to Liquor ratio as 1:100.

2. Stir this solution mechanically for 30 minutes. Viscose fibres will dissolve by this process and cotton fibres will be left.

3. Filter the cotton fibres and wash it in Sulphuric Acid.

4. Again wash it with water and neutralise it with a dilute solution of Ammonium Hydroxide.

5. Dry and Weigh. Note that cotton fibres lose weight by 5% in this process. Apply this correction factor in finding the blend percentage .

Blend of Polyester/Cotton/Viscose

1. Put the fibres in 60% w/w sulphuric acid (after weighing). Viscose will dissolve in 60% w/w sulphuric acid.


2. Dry and weigh carefully the rest of the fibres.

3. Put these fibres in 75% sulphuric acid. Cotton will dissolve.

4. The fibres left will be of polyester, which are weighed after thorough washing and drying.

Degree of polymerisation of some fibres

Fibers and DP ( Degrees of Polymerisation)

Nylon 6 -120
Nylon 6,6-200
Polyester (PET)- 100
Polyacrylonitrile > 2000
Viscose Rayon- 150-350
Polynosic- 700-1100
Cotton- 4000-10,000
Wool- 60,000-100,000

Specific Gravity of Fibres

Acetate= 1.33
Acrylic=1.17
Glass=2.50
Nylon=1.13
Polyester=1.38
Rayon=1.52
Alpaca=1.31
Angora=1.10
Camel hair=1.31
Cashmere=1.31
Cotton=1.54
Linen=1.50
Flax=1.50
Hemp=1.50
Jute=1.50
Mink=1.26
Mohair=1.31
Ramie=1.55
Silk Weighted= >1.60
Silk - B. Mori (raw)= 1.33
Asbestos=2.1
Silk Tussah=1.32
Wool= 1.31