Natural fibers: origin and properties

, лен и прочие) являются основным сырьем для отечественной текстильной промышленности. 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

Raw materials, again, are obtained from various products. Depending on the material, the fibers differ from each other in quality, appearance, and other characteristics. In this case, there is a category of the most frequently used raw materials. . In the textile industry, natural vegetable fibers are in the first place in use. 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. They include, for example, wool, silk.

Properties of natural fibers

As it was said 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 a specially grown culture. Cotton is cultivated in more than 50 countries. It represents a long-term thermophilic culture. It looks like a plant in the form of a shrub whose height is from one meter and more. Annually, after flowering, fruits form on the culture. They are presented in the form of boxes with seeds. They cover from 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 the yarn and fabric. Textiles are produced from natural fibers, which can easily be painted and processed. As a rule, the raw material for industry is white or brown. Meanwhile, at present, cultivation technologies allow the production of colored natural fibers.

Basted raw materials

получают из стеблей и листьев разных культур. Natural fibers are obtained from stems and leaves of different cultures. For example, they include jute, flax, nettles and others. . The most delicate, flexible and soft are linen natural fibers . Of these, yarn is first created. It is subsequently produced by durable and soft fabrics. Flax can be of several kinds. The length of the fibers depends on the height of the stem. The most valuable in the industrial sense is flax-dolgunets. дает лен-кудряш. Its stems can reach a height of 0.8-1 m. Low - quality natural fibers give flax-curls.

The process of obtaining raw materials

Ripe linen stems are pulled out together with the roots. This is necessary to preserve the length of the fibers. This process was called "tereblyenie." Previously, it was carried out manually. Currently, special harvesters work in the fields. On the flax-yammers, the stems are freed from the seeds. Obtained straw is soaked in special pools or other water bodies. Part of the flax stem is the bast. It is located under the bark. In the form of fine ligament there are fibers in it. Their isolation from the stems is carried out at special plants. The enterprises use a special technology to separate fibers from the bark and then process them. The soaked stems are dried. Then they crumple and tremble. After that, natural fibers are whitened, because they have a light yellow, turning into a steel color.

Other crops

The fibers of other plants are coarse and rigid. и похож на льняное по многим признакам. They are used mainly in the manufacture of ropes, canvas, burlap, ropes, etc. For example, hemp fiber - a natural material and similar to linen in many ways. However, it is not so soft. In this regard, it is used, as a rule, in the manufacture of canvas, sackcloth, twine, ropes. получают не только из стеблей. Bast fiber is obtained not only from stems. As a raw material, for example, leaves can act.

Silk

For its production, fibers are used, which are obtained from silkworm cocoons. They are formed at a certain stage of development of caterpillars. They weave a cocoon, which is an oblong shell of an egg-shaped form. It consists of the finest fiber, which is intertwined in 40-50 layers. The filament is formed as follows. At the head just below the mouth of the caterpillar there are two holes. Of these, a thick liquid is released, which in the air freezes. Her education is continuous. As a result, 2 threads are formed, which are glued together with sericin. This is a special substance, which is also excreted by the caterpillar. As a result, one thread is created, which goes to the wickerwork of the cocoon.

Industrial processing

The color of the cocoon depends on the type of silkworm. They are reddish-yellow, white, yellowish in color. Derive and other types of silkworms, which weave delicate pink, green, blue cocoons. It should, however, be said that the natural color of the yarns is not stable. In addition, colored fibers can subsequently complicate the staining process. Before further use in industry, cocoons are bleached.

To produce high-quality fibers, cocoons are treated with steam or hot air. Pupae in them are sacrificed, and to prevent decomposition, they are subjected to drying. If this is not done, then the insect will turn into a butterfly and begin to get out of the cocoon. Accordingly, it will be subjected to mechanical damage, which negatively affects the quality of the threads. Before starting the coiling of the fibers, the cocoons are placed in pools filled with hot water. Then they are treated with steam and alkaline solutions. This is necessary for softening sericin. One cocoon gives about 400-1200 meters of thread. However, it is very thin. Therefore, the fibers from 3 to 30 cocoons combine into one.

Wool

What other natural fibers are used in the industry? Animals give industry and wool. It is also processed for filaments. Wool has a variety of qualities and characteristics. Differences are present in the fibers of one animal of different species. For example, of sheep's wool, the one that is obtained from fine-fleece and half-fine sheep is of great value. In the process of cutting, the hairline is removed by a continuous layer. Fleece is not of the same quality. The most valuable fibers are located on the back, abdomen, shoulder blades. On the legs and back of the coat rough. However, the most qualitative and valuable is considered fluff. Its fibers are flexible, elastic and thin. The quality of the coat largely depends on the time of the haircut. Fibers obtained in springtime will be soft. They have a lot of fluff. In autumn it is almost absent in wool. Therefore, such fibers are rigid. However, the autumn wool is cleaner than spring. Among the fibers distinguish:

1. Awn - thick fiber.
2. Transient hair. By its characteristics, it occupies an intermediate place between awn and down.
3. "Dead" hair. It is presented in the form of hard and low-strength fibers.

Features of processing

The properties of the yarn will depend on the quality of the fibers that were used to produce it. The best varieties are made from fluff. The quality of fibers is determined not only by their strength, softness, tonne, but also by length. It, in turn, will depend on the breed of sheep. The length of the coat can reach 180-200 mm. Raw material is always subjected to primary processing. It includes sorting, cleaning from debris (clods of land, burdock, etc.). Then, the loosening is done. 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 done by special formulations with the addition of detergents. This is necessary to remove fat particles.

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 called high demand for textiles. The available resources of natural material could not meet the needs of the population. The production of artificial raw materials is carried out using natural polymers. They 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. As a result, viscose, nitrocellulose, acetate, copper-ammonium silk are obtained.

Synthetic raw materials

They are obtained by processing different products. Among them: oil and coal, associated and natural gases, agricultural and pulp and paper waste. From substances high-molecular resins are isolated. They also act as a starting material for the production of synthetic raw materials. Processing and processing of resins is carried out by a special, rather complex technology. Among the synthetic fibers, nylon, lavsan, capron, milan, polyvinylchloride and the like were most widely used. Chemical raw materials are given certain qualitative characteristics in advance. In particular, it is distinguished by its 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 textile production provides ample opportunities for obtaining a huge range of yarns. Natural fibers can mix together with each other, and with artificial and synthetic materials. For example, they combine kapron and linen, nylon and wool. For the production of semi-silk and half-woolen fabrics, not only the mixing of fibers is used. New technologies of weaving are actively applied. In particular, when creating a web, the yarns of the warp are yarns of some fibers, and the weft - of others.

Conclusion

The textile industry is considered to be one of the largest manufacturing sectors. For the production of demanded products, quality raw materials should be used. It must comply with GOSTs, be carefully processed. This is important for fibers of any origin, including chemical. It should be noted that the industry is constantly introducing advanced production technologies. This, in turn, requires the supply of new types of raw materials.