Lecture 1: What is a Textile?

Textile: 'A flexible material constructed from a network of fibres, natural or synthetic.'

The aim of this lecture was to introduce us to the main commercial fibre types and yarn and fabric manufacturing systems. This lecture broke commercial textiles down into 7 key categories:

Clothing: Probably one of the first things to come to mind when we hear the word 'textile'. The fashion and clothing industry is a huge part of the world of textiles, due to it's aesthetic and consumer nature. However it is important to note that the active sports-wear also falls under this category and is part of a large market in which developments often come from the military sector.

Sportwear inspired collection by ATHELETENIQUE S/S 2012 for RAJO!

Transport: The largest volume use of any technical textile is used in relation to transport, both private and public. It is imperative for these textiles to be strong, durable, soundproof, shockproof, fire resistant, comfortable and light. A car is a good example of this as 60% of the final product is textile.

Interior car fabrics.

Agriculture: Synthetic fabrics are used to warm the soil before planting. Textiles can be used to prolong the growing season and also to deter weeds and insects.

Non-woven crop cover.

Geotextiles: Used in civil engineering, road building, embankments, canals, dams and construction sites. Their function is to strengthen, reinforce, protect, filter and drain. They are also used to prevent coastal decline and to clean up oil spills.

Needle-punched, non-woven polypropylene geotextile.

Medical Textiles: Must be strong, light, durable, sterile, non toxic and biodegradable due to their disposable nature, take hospital gowns for instance. Further examples of medical textiles are wound dressings, knitted heart valves and medical implants.

An example of a knitted biomedical textile.

This is an area of textiles that I had not given much thought to, and I dare say I'm not alone in this, which is absurd when you think about the extent that textiles are used in this industry and how much the medical world have come to rely on them. I suppose it is understandable as it is not a commercial industry, however I would definitely like to research into medical textiles further.

Architecture:  Can be temporary or permanent structures. Fibres must have high tensile strength, be abrasion resistant, inert, UV resistant and pliable.

MYB Textiles + EDO Architecture: The Ghost of Water Row.

Interiors/ Domestic Textiles: Another large commercial industry for textile design.  Curtains, blinds, upholstery, carpets, rugs etc. It is paramount for interior textiles to be UV resistant, flame resistant, stain/dirt resistant and abrasion resistant. Linens are used heavily as interior textiles.

Interior textiles by Timorous Beasties.

Spun yarn: Twisting/Bonding short fibres together.
Filament yarn: Continuos, long fibre.
Non-woven fabrics: Bypass the yarn stage. Defined as a sheet or web structure. They are bonded together by entangling fibre or filaments, mechanically, thermally or chemically. They are used frequently for medical garments as they do not have a long life cycle and can be easily recycled.

Commercial Fibre Sources (natural):

Cotton: Seed hair fibre. Cotton provides around 45% of the world's fibre consumption and is the world's largest non-food crop. Many types of cotton have actually died out as they were not commercially viable. In recent years organic and fair trade cotton has been coming more readily available.

Silk: Protein based animal fibre (the silk worm/moth). Is popular due to it's aesthetics and luxurious quality. Obvious use in the fashion/clothing industry but it is also used heavily in the medical world, cosmetic products, insulation and thermal underwear.




Flax (also known as linseed): fibres from this raw material are known as linens, offers a wide range of uses and products, particularly in the interior textile industry.

Wool: The original high performance fibre, wool has inbuilt thermal qualities, is weatherproof, has UV resistance, fire protection and elasticity.Prices of wool are the highest they have been in around 25 years. 100% machine washable wool has now been made available. Sports wool is a mix of merino wool and polyester. Superfine wool hairs are twice as fine as human hairs and a viscous-like raw material can be produced from the protein found in wool keratin.

Luxury Hair Fibres: Muskox, Opossum, Rabbit, Camel, Vicuna and Cashmere goats all produce luxury fibres. These fibres are very expensive, the most expensive and highly prized in the textile world are obtained from animals living in cold climates. These hollow fibres are excellent insulators. My personal stance, however, is very anti-fur.



Commercial Fibre Sources (man-made):

Polyester: The most used and mass produced man-made fibre as it offers a wide range of functions. Used extensively in the garment industry as it is relatively cheap.  Fibres provides the ability to heat set the fabric, allowing pleats and shapes to be formed and permanently set. These fabrics can also be laser cut and welded.

 Acrylic: An oil based synthetic polymer, which is used in paints and plastics as well as being used in the garment industry as a cheaper alternative to wool. As it is an oil-based fibre, production of acrylics has a detrimental effect on the environment.

Polyamide: Synthetic fibre, known widely as the NYLON brand, also produced from oil. It can be recycled, resists wear and tear and blends well with other fibres. It does not absorb water and is therefore widely used in swimwear.

Stretch Fibres: Comfort, fit, ease or movement and crease recovery are imparted by stretch fibres. Lycra and Low XLA are branded elastic fibres derived from polyurethane. Mechanically crimped yarns from synthetic polyester fibres provide a gentler comfort stretch. Power stretch, for sportswear can assist performance. Stretch fibres also have a use for medical purposes.

Man-made Cellulosics: Produced from natural cellulosic sources of wood, pulp, cotton, linen and bamboo. These textiles are fluid, skin friendly and soft to handle. They have a strong wet strength, high absorbency and provide breathability. The brand Incel produce man-made cellulosics in an environmentally friendly 'closed loop' system. The demand for these fibres is increasing globally as they can be biodegradable.





I found this lecture to be a very informative introduction to the series. I'm not afraid to admit that I often use materials within my own work without even thinking of where it it was made but now I'd like to think that I could make a more informed decision when it comes to textile selection.  It was a welcome crash course into the world of fibres.
What also struck me as interesting was the extent that textile fibres are used in the medical world, in hindsight it's obvious that textiles are a huge part in treating patients but I guess I hadn't properly thought about it until now and I would like to look into it further.

Image Sources:
http://diaryofasolesearcher.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/high-fashion-sportswear-athletenique-by.html
http://carfabrics.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.hw.ac.uk/sbc/BTRC/BTRC/_private/Whatare.htm
http://www.tradeindia.com/fp928287/Agricultural-Crop-Cover-of-PP-Non-Woven-Fabric.html
http://www.directindustry.com/prod/fibertex-nonwovens/needle-punched-nonwoven-polypropylene-geotextiles-54844-450434.html
http://www.theweaveshed.org/464/myb-textiles-edo-architecture-project/
http://www.ragnewyork.com/blog/choosing-between-pure-cotton-shirts-and-cotton-blend-material/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk
http://greenclothing-style.blogspot.co.uk/2012_05_01_archive.html
http://wool4you.us/cashmere-camel/89-camel-cashmere.html
http://textileengineerr.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/some-common-man-made-fibers.html
http://www.synergysourcing.in/hollow-conjugated-polyester-staple-fiber-316922.html
http://feltingandfiberstudio.com/other-fibers/man-made-fibers/
http://www.rawrdenim.com/dictionary/l/lycra/ 
http://www.carrieparry.com/blog/cat/textile-education-series/