Fabric Knowledge for Merchandisers

Introduction to the structure and major segments of

the textiles Industry --Major textiles sectors (Handloom, Powerloom, Mill) , textiles hubs in India, Market statistics, Market growth etc. Video on cotton to denim manufacturing
Books:
Fabric science By Joseph.J.Pizzuto 7th edition

Textiles from fiber to fabric By B.P.Corbman

Understanding of fabrics By P.Tortora and B.Collier

 Clothing has been called

the second skin in recognition of its intimate connection with peoples physical and psychological comfort.

 Designers choose textile material

very early in the product development cycle because the properties of fabric are linked to the silhouette and the mood of the collection. World of textile is an exciting area where fashion performance and marketing are blended to provide textile products for people all over the world.

Indian Textile Industry

It provides employment to more than

35 million people in India. The textile industry is estimated to be around US$ 52 billion and is likely to touch US$ 80 billion by 2020. Indian textiles, handlooms and handicrafts are exported to more than 100 countries, with the US being the largest buyer
It accounts for
3% of the GDP 14 % of industrial production Above 25 % of the countrys total

export earnings.

Source: Report on Indian textile industry by Honey Arora

Source: Report on Indian textile industry by Honey Arora

Three Sectors of Indian Textile Industry

Handloom sector Decentralized power loom sector Organised mill sector.

Handloom sector
The sector accounts for 13% of

the total cloth produced in the country. The handloom mark launched on June 28 2006 serves as a guarantee for the buyer that the product being purchased is genuinely hand woven.

Power loom sector

The powerloom industry plays a pivotal role in

meeting the clothing needs of the country and produces a wide variety of cloth, both grey, as well as, processed. More than 60% of the cloth meant for exports comes from the powerloom sector.

Organised mill sector

Largest organised industry in the country in terms of

the employment and number of units. As on Dec 2007, there were 1744 cotton/manmade fiber textile mills ( non-SSI) in the country with a capacity of 35 million spindles and 56000 looms

Major companies under T & C industry

Strengths of Indian textile industry

Huge textile production capacity Efficient multi fiber raw material manufacturing capacity Large pool of skilled and cheaper work force Entrepreneurial skill Huge export potential Large domestic market Very low import content Flexible textile manufacturing systems.

Weaknesses
Increased global competition in the post 2005 trade regime

under WTO Imports of cheap textiles from other Asian neighbors Use of outdated manufacturing technology Poor supply chain management Huge unorganized and decentralized sector High production cost with respect to other countries.

 Figure out which are the leading textile industries in

India and write a short essay on each (covering product base, sources, buyers, share in market etc). Which are the steps taken by the Govt during Budget 2011and 2012 for textile industry?

Introduction to Textile

Chemical structure

 Fiber properties
Primary properties

Length to width ratio Strength Flexibility Cohesiveness Uniformity

Strength values of fibers are as follows:

UR % classification: 50-55 very good 45-50 good 40-45 satisfactory 35-40 poor Below 35 unusable

 Secondary properties
Mass Fineness Micronaire: resistance to air flow yarn size: count Linear density: expressed in tex, den etc. Luster: reflectance of light from the surface of textile material Color Moisture absorption: moisture content & moisture regain Elongation and recovery resiliency

 Thermal properties Flammability Sunlight Abrasion resistance Miscellaneous properties

Fiber cotton linen silk wool acetate nylon olefin polyester rayon spandex

Moisture regain% 8 -- 10 8 -- 9 11 13 -- 15 6 5 -- 6 0 1 11--13 1 -- 2

Dry tenacity ( g/d) 3 6 2 1 1 4 4 3 2 1

Breaking elongation % 3 2.5 --3 10 --25 20--40 25 19 15 20 20 700

 Appearance

Durability

Color Luster Abrasion resistance Resilience Dye affinity

Density Elasticity Absorbency Static generation flexibility

Comfort

Abrasion resistance Tenacity Flexibility Cohesiveness Elasticity Thermal behavior Chemical resistance Biological resistance
Tenacity Resilience Absorbency Chemical resistance Abrasion resistance

Maintenance

 Sea Island Cotton Egyptian Cotton Pima Cotton American Upland Long Staple American Upland Short Staple Asia Short Staple

 Morphology Length Fineness

Sea-land cotton: 1.28 Upland cotton: 5.23

Color and luster Microscopic properties

Strength Tenacity : 3 to 5 g/d in dry state; 3.3 to 6 g/d in wet condition Elongation: 3 to 7 % Recovery: 75 % when 2 % elongation
50 % when 5 % elongation

 Density : 1.54 g/cm2 Moisture regain: 8.5%-10%

Thermal properties: It burns like a burning paper Long exposure to dry heat above 150oC ( 300oF) gradually decompose the fabric Temp above 246oC cause rapid deterioration Safe ironing temp is 204oC Chemical properties Long exposure to cold dilute acids gradually degrades the cotton. Strong acids and hot dilute acids cause disintegration. Cotton is highly resistant to alkalies. Other properties Biological: the mildew fungus will grow on the cotton. Mildew discolors and degrade the fiber. Prolonged exposure to sunlight eventually yellows and degrades the fiber.

 It s cool to wear, very absorbent, dries slowly

It has soft handle, good drape and durable.

It has a good strength and abrasion resistance. It is completely washable and dry-cleanable

No static or pilling problems

Inexpensive

 Cotton fibers products include denim, jeans, socks,

towels, t-shirts, bed sheets and under garments.

Morphology

Length: avg length of 25-40 cm; can go up to 100 cm Fineness: avg fiber has a width of 21 micrometers.
Tenacity: 5.5 to 6.5 g/d; 20% increase in strength when wet Elongation: breaking elongation 2.7 to 3.3% Resilience: at 2 % elongation fiber shows 65% recovery

Strength

Density: 1.5 g/cm3 Moisture regain: 8.75 %; can go up to 12%. Thermal properties

Burns similar to cotton and produce ash Long exposure to dry heat above 150oC ( 300oF) gradually decompose the fabric Safe ironing temp is 204oC Long exposure to cold dilute acids gradually degrades the Fiber. Strong acids and hot dilute acids cause disintegration. Linen is resistant to alkalies. Dry fibers have a good resistance to mildew Good resistance to sunlight.

Chemical properties

Other properties

 It is the strongest of the vegetable fibers.

Known for the coolness and freshness in hot

weather. It is smooth and gets softer the more it is washed. It has a high natural luster. It is strong and durable and dries quickly It has poor elasticity

 It is mainly used for high street

fashion skirts, ladies tops, sweaters, formal wear, chef uniforms, aprons, school and medical uniforms.

Ramie Jute Hemp Pineapple Coir Banana Kapok Bamboo Tea, milk etc.

 Wool Sheared or pulled from the skin of sheep. Different varieties (breeds) are Marino (fine wool), Cheviot, Columbia, Corriedale, Montadale, and Panama (Medium fineness fibers). Composed of complex, crosslinked keratin proteins.

Morphology

Length: length of 3.8 to 38 cm; 4 to 13 cm is fine wool Fineness: avg fiber has a width of 18 to 40 micrometers. Color and luster: vary with breed of animal. Fine wools more lustrous than coarse. Color varies from tan , brown, grey or black.
Tenacity: 1 to 1.7 g/d; 30% reduction in strength when wet Elongation: breaking elongation 20 to 30% Resilience: at 2 % elongation fiber shows 99% recovery

Strength

Density: 1.3 g/cm3 Moisture regain: 13.6 to 16%; can go up to 29%. Thermal properties

Self extinguishing, produces odor like burning hairs Wool chars and disintegrates at temp above 300o C Long exposure to dry heat above 130oC ( 266oF) gradually decompose the fabric & turns yellow When treated with boiling water, the fibers becomes weak and somewhat stiff. Exposure to strong dilute acids gradually degrades the Fiber. Wool is resistant to dilute acids. Keratin is very sensitive to alkalies. Carpet beetles and the larvae of some moths are attracted to wool as a food source. Prolonged exposure to sunlight causes photochemical oxidation.

Chemical properties

Other properties

Warm and comfortable to wear Wrinkle resistance Good resiliency when dry Good drape and elasticity Damaged by chlorine bleach May shrink unless treated Looses strength when wet Shows pilling effect Poor luster and expensive Felting of wool

Trademark for pure wool

 Greek soldiers used wool felt to add comfort to their helmets, while

villagers used wool to make clothing and bags for traveling. Wool fabric is used for all kinds of clothing, couch covers, bedspreads, toilet covers, tablecloths, and more. Most active wear is made from wool blended fabric. Shirts, pants, dresses, ties, skirts, and jackets can be made from wool. Wool can be also used for carpeting, felt, and upholstery Wool felt covers piano hammers and it is used to absorb odors and noise in heavy machinery and stereo speakers. Ragg is a sturdy wool fibre made into yarn and used in many rugged applications like gloves.

 Silk is called Queen of Fibers

Silk is a natural protein secreted by the larvae of

moths. Twin filaments of protein fibroin are secreted and bound together in a single strand with a protein gum knows as sericin. It is removed during processing to leave fibroin protein. Mulberry, Tussar, Eri and Muga are four variety of silk. Luxury, beauty, refinement, sensuality, elegance silk is synonymous with all these.

 Mulberry:

The bulk of the commercial silk produced in the world comes from this variety. These silkworms are completely domesticated Tasar: Tasar (Tussah) is copperish colour, coarse silk mainly used for furnishings and interiors. It is less lustrous than mulberry silk.

 Oak Tasar/tussar/tussah:

It is a finer variety of tasar. China is the major producer of oak tasar in the world.
Eri: Also known as Endi or Errandi, Eri is a multivoltine silk spun from open-ended cocoons. Eri silk is the product of the domesticated silkworm. Muga: This golden yellow colour silk is prerogative of India and the pride of Assam state. It is obtained from semi-domesticated multivoltine silkworm

Morphology

Length: avg length of 900 to 1200 meters; can go up to 2500 meters Fineness: avg fiber has a width of 9 to 11 micrometers. Color and luster: vary with type of silk worm. Cultivated silk more lustrous than Tussar or wild silk. Color varies from Off white to cream, sometimes yellow, tan or pink.

Strength

Tenacity: 2.4 to 5.1 g/d; 15-20% reduction in strength when wet. Elongation: breaking elongation 10 to 25%. Can go up to 35 %. Resilience: at 2 % elongation fiber shows 92% recovery Density: 1.25 to 1.34 g/cm3

Moisture regain: 11% ; Saturation regain is 25 to 35%. Thermal properties

Self extinguishing and has a odor of burning hairs and leaves a crisp, brittle black ash. Safe ironing temp is 121oC to 135oC. Long exposure to dry heat above 177oC ( 350oF) gradually decompose the silk. Fibroin is decomposed by strong mineral acids, strong alkalies.

Chemical properties

Other properties

Sunlight accelerates the decomposition of silk. Silk is resistant to attack by mildew and many bacteria and fungi, but it is attacked by bacteria.

Most lustrous and luxurious. Lightweight and water absorbent. Good dye ability with rich colors. Stronger and moderately wrinkle resistant. Excellent drape and luxurious hand Expensive. Damaged by chemical exposure. Looses strength when wet. Silk treated with formaldehyde shows high strength, higher resistance and reduced solubility to chemicals.

 It is often used for

clothing such as shirts, blouses, formal dresses, high fashion clothes, pajamas, robes, skirt, suits, sun dresses, night suits and luxury clothes.

 Mohair

Cashmere
Camel Alpaca

Llama
Vicuna Musk Ox

Angora