It is widely used to make clothes. Acrylic- Acrylic is a man-made fibre. Acrylic is known as artificial wool or synthetic wool because it resembles wool. Acrylic is cheaper than natural wool and can be dyed in various colour. This makes acrylic is very popular among other fabrics.
Characteristics of Synthetic Fibres. Synthetic fibres are cheaper than natural fibre. Synthetic fibres are stronger than natural fibre. Synthetic fibres are more durable than natural fibre. Synthetic fabrics are dried up in less time. Synthetic fibres are easy to maintain and wash. Plastic is a polymer that can be recycled, coloured, reused, mould or drawn into wires or various other shapes.
Units of some plastics have linear arrangement while some plastics are formed by the cross linked arrangement of their units. It does not wrinkle and also resists shrinkage, moths and mildew. It has a luxurious appearance, a soft crisp feel and drapes well. Pure acetate is usually dry clean only. It is generally used for dress linings and special occasion wear. Acrylic: Made from a petrochemical called acrylontrile. It is lightweight and strong but has an uneven surface.
It has the warmth and softness of wool but does not absorb water. Garments made from pure acrylic can easily pill. Mainly used for making warm clothing such as blankets and jumpers. Lyocell : A type of rayon made from cellulose. It has a similar soft feel and drape to rayon, but is much more durable and has a much stronger wet strength. Therefore it is usually machine washable and dryable. Many types of garment are made from lyocell including dresses, suits, sportswear and trousers.
Lyocell is also used for home furnishings, such as curtains, upholstery and table linens. Microfibre : Made from extremely finely woven acrylic, nylon, polyester or rayon filaments. It can be woven so tightly that the fabric cannot be penetrated by wind, rain or cold so is popular for raincoat manufacture. It has a wicking ability so is also popular for sportswear.
It is also used for hosiery, swimwear and underwear. It is washable. Nylon : Made of polyamide. It is exceptionally strong, elastic, lightweight, resistant to abrasion and also drapes well. It is easy to wash as dirt does not cling to it and quick to dry. It blends well with natural fibres to give durability and stretch. It can be very static, melts when exposed to high heat and is also uncomfortable to wear in warm weather as it does not absorb moisture.
Uses include hosiery, underwear, swimwear and sportswear. Polyester : Made of polyethylene terephthalate. A durable, soft and strong, quick-drying textile that does not wrinkle and that holds its shape well. It blends well with natural fibres such as cotton or wool or with artificial fibres, to make the fabric more durable and easier to wash. Nylon 2. Polyester 3. Acrylic 4. Spandex 5. Olefin 6. Synthetic fur, leather and Suede 7. Neoprene 8.
Polyester fleece 9. Microfiber Acetate Some very famous Branded Synthetic textiles Kevlar Polartec Nano Care These fabrics are engineered by men to have all the qualities they want.
Most of the fabrics made of synthetic fibers have many things in common. Some are good and desired, some not so good. But there they are. All synthetic fibers are filament fibers with a rod-like structure, long, circular when cut in a cross-section. The synthetic fabrics have a smooth and shiny appearance. They are lightweight but very strong , much stronger than the natural fabrics — a very desirable quality; they are all poor conductors of heat; They are generally easily maintainable , with less creasing.
The fabric dries quickly. They have natural elasticity and flexibility. Easy maintenance is what attracts it to you and me as clothing fabrics. These fabrics are, to top it all, inexpensive.
Now to the bad- Synthetic fabrics do not have the breathability of natural fabrics. They do not absorb moisture, which makes them rather uncomfortable on the skin. All of them melt with a chemical odor when put to flame and leave molten beads as residue. This will stick to your skin if you are wearing it when it is melting. It is considered as a Burn Hazard by the US military. The cost to the environment due to the manufacture, use and disposal of synthetic fabrics are many — air pollution and water pollution are the first things and the worst that come to my mind.
The fact that they are non-biodegradable and can remain in the same form for many many years spells even more doom.
However bad or good or the best you think they are, there is no escaping from synthetic fabrics for us humans. They are slowly winning the war against natural fabrics and I can foresee a time when natural fabrics will only be seen in a textile museum. But there is one thing that can halt the production of synthetic fibers — nonavailability of its raw materials — oil products. Nylon is one of the most used synthetic fabrics; Since it was produced as a replacement for silk by DuPont, it has had unprecedented growth in usage across all sectors — apparel,, industrial, home furnishing, automatic, construction, etc.
The nylon fabric is preferred for its qualities like strength, resistance to abrasion, flexibility, quick-drying, water resistance, etc. You can learn more about Nylon fabric here. Polyester was another discovery by the DuPont company. It is now the most popular apparel fabric in the world.
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