What is Textile and what are the classification of fibres?

What is Textile?

Texile is a type of material composed of natural or synthetic fibers. Texiles are classified into many types.

Elementary Textile

Clothing as we all know is one of the basic needs of human being. From early days itself we used it for different purposes such as covering the body, warmth, personal adornment and even display wealth. Today textiles are used for different purposes other than the above mentioned. A textile is a cloth, which is either woven by hand or machine. The word textile is a Latin word originated from the word "texere" which means to weave. The study of textiles covers the basic concepts of fibers, yarns, weaves and fabric manufacturing. It also includes various finishes that are used to enhance fabric performance and aesthetics.

Fibers - Fibre (British spelling)

Fiber is the basic unit of which a fabric is made. In appearance it is a thin hair like structure of any length and can be measured in meters. Fiber is used for manufacturing fabrics as all fibers are suitable for textile purposes.

Classification of Fiber

Fiber can be classified according to its length or according to its origin. Example for

• Cotton - 1.5 cms - 7 cms
• Wool - 2 cms - 20 cms

• Silk

Short or limited length fibers are called staple fiber and long continuous fibers are called filament fibers.

Natural Fibers

They are obtained from natural resources such as cotton, silk, jute or wool. It can be further classified into the following catagories.

• Vegetable Fibers
  These are fibers that are made of cellulose and naturally occuring polymer of plants. The following are vegetables fibers.
  • Nut Husk : Obtained from seedpod. Example - Cottons, Coir.
  • Bast Fiber : Obtained from base portion of stem. Example - Jute, Linen.
  • Leaf Fiber : Obtained from leaf. Example - Pineapple leaf fiber, sisal.
• Animal Fibers
  These fibers are produced from animals. They are also known as protein fibers. The following are the examples.
  • Hair Fiber : Obtained from animal hair. Example - Wool, Alpaca.
  • Secretion Fiber : Obtained from animal secretion. Example - Silk.
• Mineral Fibers
  Mineral fibers are produced from natural mineral resources. Example - Gold, Silver.

Man made Fibers

Fibers artificially produced or re-generated are called man made fibers. Man made fibers are sub divided into the following catagories.

• Modified Fiber. Example - Rayon.
• Synthetic Fiber. Example - Nylon.
• Inorganic Fiber. Example - Glass.