Natural fibers (cotton , linen and others) are the main raw material for the domestic textile industry. They are made from various natural products.
The origin of natural fibers
The raw materials, we repeat, are obtained from various products. Depending on the material, the fibers differ in quality, appearance, and other characteristics. However, there is a category of the most commonly used raw materials. In the textile industry, natural plant fibers are in the first place in application. Their characteristics depend on the characteristics of the crops from which the raw materials are made. In addition, natural fibers of animal origin are used. These include, for example, wool, silk.
Properties of natural fibers
As mentioned above, the characteristics of raw materials depend on the characteristics of the products from which they are obtained. The most common are cotton fibers. They are obtained from specially grown crops. Cotton is cultivated in more than 50 countries. It is a perennial heat-loving culture. The plant looks like a bush, the height of which is from one meter or more. After flowering, fruits are formed annually on the crop. They are presented in the form of boxes with seeds. They are covered by 7 to 15 thousand hairs. They are cotton fibers. The length of the hairs is in the range of 12-60 mm. The longer they are, the better yarn and fabric. Textiles are made from natural fibers, which can be easily dyed and otherwise processed. As a rule, the feedstock for industry is white or brown. Meanwhile, at present, cultivation technologies make it possible to obtain colored natural fibers.
Bast raw materials
Natural fibers are obtained from the stems and leaves of different cultures. These include, for example, jute, flax, nettle and others. Linen natural fibers are considered the thinnest, most flexible and softest. First, yarn is created from them. Strong and soft fabrics are subsequently produced from it. Flax can be of several types. The length of the fibers depends on the height of the stem. Flax flax is considered the most valuable in the industrial sense. Its stems can reach a height of 0.8-1 m. Low - quality natural fibers gives flax curls.
The process of obtaining raw materials
Ripe linen stems are pulled out together with the roots. This is necessary to maintain the length of the fibers. This process is called "tinkering". Previously, it was carried out manually. Currently, special combines are working in the fields. On flax threshers, the stems are released from seeds. The resulting straws are soaked in special pools or other bodies of water. Part of the flax stalk is bast. It is located under the bark. In the form of thin ligaments there are fibers in it. Their isolation from the stems is made in special plants. The enterprises use a special technology for separating the fibers from the bark and their subsequent processing. The soaked stems are dried. Then they are wrinkled and shuddered. After that, natural fibers are bleached, because they have a light yellow color that turns into steel.
Other cultures
The fibers of other plants are coarse and stiff. They are used mainly in the manufacture of ropes, canvas, burlap, ropes, etc. For example, hemp fiber is a natural material and is similar to linen in many ways. However, it is not so soft. In this regard, it is used, as a rule, in the production of canvas, burlap, twine, ropes. Bast natural fibers are obtained not only from stems. As a raw material, for example, leaves can also act.
Silk
For its production, fibers are used that are obtained from silkworm cocoons. They form at a certain stage in the development of caterpillars. They weave a cocoon, which is an elongated egg-shaped shell. It consists of the thinnest fiber, which is interwoven in 40-50 layers. The thread is formed as follows. Two holes are located on the head just below the mouth of the caterpillar. A thick liquid is released from them, which freezes in the air. Her education is ongoing. As a result, 2 filaments are formed, which are glued together by sericin. This is a special substance that is also secreted by the caterpillar. As a result, one thread is created, which goes to weave a cocoon.
Industrial processing
The color of the cocoon depends on the type of silkworm. They are reddish yellow, white, yellowish. Other types of silkworms, which weave soft pink, green, blue cocoons, are also brought out. However, it should be said that the natural color of the threads is not stable. In addition, colored fibers can subsequently complicate the dyeing process. Before subsequent use in industry, cocoons are bleached.
To obtain high quality fibers, cocoons are treated with steam or hot air. The pupae in them are killed, and to prevent decomposition, they are dried. If this is not done, then the insect will turn into a butterfly and begin to get out of the cocoon. Accordingly, it will undergo mechanical damage, which negatively affects the quality of the threads. Before you start winding fibers, cocoons are placed in pools filled with hot water. Then they are treated with steam and alkaline solutions. This is necessary to soften sericin. One cocoon gives about 400-1200 m of thread. However, it is very thin. Therefore, fibers from 3 to 30 cocoons are combined into one.
Wool
What other natural fibers are used in industry? Animals give industry and wool. It is also processed to produce filaments. Wool has a variety of qualities and characteristics. Differences are present in the fibers of one animal of different species. For example, sheep’s wool is of great value from that obtained from fine-fleece and half-fine-fleece sheep. In the process of cutting, the hair is removed in a continuous layer. Fleece is not the same in quality. The most valuable fibers are located on the back, stomach, shoulder blades. The hair on the legs and back is coarse. However, the most high-quality and valuable is considered down. Its fibers are flexible, elastic and thin. The quality of the coat largely depends on the time of the haircut. The fibers obtained in spring will be softer. They contain a large amount of fluff. In autumn, it is almost absent in wool. Therefore, such fibers are stiff. However, autumn wool is cleaner than spring. Among the fibers distinguish:
- Ost is a thick fiber.
- Transitional hair. According to its characteristics, it occupies an intermediate place between the spine and down.
- "Dead" hair. It is presented in the form of hard and low-strength fibers.
Processing Features
The properties of the yarn will depend on the quality of the fibers used to produce it. The best varieties are made from down. The quality of the fibers is determined not only by their strength, softness, fineness, but also by their length. She, in turn, will depend on the breed of sheep. The length of the coat can reach 180-200 mm. Raw materials are always subjected to primary processing. It includes sorting, cleaning of garbage (lumps of land, burdock, etc.). Then it is docked, loosened. After that, the wool is washed and dried. Sorting is done manually. Fleece is laid out on special tables. Here it is divided into parts. In accordance with certain quality standards, wool is selected in the batch. Washing is carried out with special compositions with the addition of detergents. This is necessary to remove particles of fat.
Chemical raw materials
With the development of technology, it became possible to produce artificial and synthetic fibers. The main reason for using chemistry in obtaining raw materials is the high demand for textiles. The available resources of natural material could not satisfy the needs of the population. Obtaining artificial raw materials is carried out using natural polymers. These include, in particular, cotton, wood and other cellulose, milk proteins, etc. These substances are chemically treated with nitric, sulfuric, acetic acids, acetone, caustic soda and so on. The result is viscose, nitro silk, acetate, copper-ammonia silk.
Synthetic raw materials
They are obtained by processing various products. Among them: oil and coal, associated and natural gases, waste from agricultural and pulp and paper production. High molecular weight resins are isolated from substances. They act as a starting material for producing synthetic raw materials. Processing and processing of resins is carried out according to a special, rather complicated technology. Among the synthetic fibers , nylon, lavsan, nylon, milano, polyvinyl chloride and others are most widely used. Chemical raw materials are given certain qualitative characteristics in advance. In particular, it is distinguished by strength, resistance to moisture, paint, etc.
Mixed raw materials
The chemical and natural fibers mentioned above are homogeneous materials. Meanwhile, today, the mixing of raw materials is becoming increasingly popular. The introduction of new technologies in the textile industry provides great opportunities for a huge assortment of yarn. Natural fibers can be mixed with each other, as well as with artificial and synthetic materials. For example, combine nylon and linen, nylon and wool. To obtain semi-silk and half-woolen fabrics, not only fiber mixing is used. New technologies of weaving are actively applied. In particular, when creating the canvas, the warp threads are yarn of some fibers, and weft of others.
Conclusion
The textile industry is considered one of the largest manufacturing sectors. For the manufacture of popular products, quality raw materials should be used. It must comply with GOSTs, be thoroughly processed. This is important for fibers of any origin, including chemical. It is worth noting that the industry is constantly introducing advanced production technologies. This, in turn, requires the supply of new types of raw materials.