High Technology Fibers
HIGH TECHNOLOGY FIBRES FOR TECHNICAL TEXTILES
1 INTRODUCTION
Human life is surrounded by hundreds of textile fibres either in the form of clothes, interior textiles or in the form of high performance technical textiles made of conventional or high technology fibres for various applications. A textile fibre is usually defined as a flexible, macroscopically homogenous cylindrical body mainly with circular cross- section having a high ratio of length to diameter (typically 100-3000: 1). Textile fibres are derived both from natural and synthetic origins. Natural fibres such as cotton, wool etc. are often found with lengths 1000-3000 times their diameter. On the other hand coarser natural fibres such as jute, flax, ramie, etc. have lengths 100- 500 times their diameter. However man-made fibres can be made in any desired ratio of length to diameter. The technical textile industry uses both natural and man-made fibres in manufacturing a variety of products. Natural fibres mainly come from agricultural and animal sources; (although asbestos is a natural fibre coming from mineral sources, but this fibre is banned in many countries from being used due to health hazards) whereas the production of man-made fibres is an important activity of the world-wide chemical industry involving largely natural polymers and synthetic polymers (derieved from petrochemical by-products). There are also a limited number of man-made fibres such as glass, metal and ceramics are produced using inorganic materials.
Although natural fibres are extensively used in the technical textile iiidwliv, a serious manufacturing of technical textiles only started about thirty years ago with the inception of man-made fibres. Over the last twenty, years, the man-made fibre industry has seen a radical growth in terms of fibre consumption tbr the technical textile industry. In general, the man-made fibre industry achieved a vast expansion between 1940 and 1970, creating a new spectacular look for the
1 INTRODUCTION
Human life is surrounded by hundreds of textile fibres either in the form of clothes, interior textiles or in the form of high performance technical textiles made of conventional or high technology fibres for various applications. A textile fibre is usually defined as a flexible, macroscopically homogenous cylindrical body mainly with circular cross- section having a high ratio of length to diameter (typically 100-3000: 1). Textile fibres are derived both from natural and synthetic origins. Natural fibres such as cotton, wool etc. are often found with lengths 1000-3000 times their diameter. On the other hand coarser natural fibres such as jute, flax, ramie, etc. have lengths 100- 500 times their diameter. However man-made fibres can be made in any desired ratio of length to diameter. The technical textile industry uses both natural and man-made fibres in manufacturing a variety of products. Natural fibres mainly come from agricultural and animal sources; (although asbestos is a natural fibre coming from mineral sources, but this fibre is banned in many countries from being used due to health hazards) whereas the production of man-made fibres is an important activity of the world-wide chemical industry involving largely natural polymers and synthetic polymers (derieved from petrochemical by-products). There are also a limited number of man-made fibres such as glass, metal and ceramics are produced using inorganic materials.
Although natural fibres are extensively used in the technical textile iiidwliv, a serious manufacturing of technical textiles only started about thirty years ago with the inception of man-made fibres. Over the last twenty, years, the man-made fibre industry has seen a radical growth in terms of fibre consumption tbr the technical textile industry. In general, the man-made fibre industry achieved a vast expansion between 1940 and 1970, creating a new spectacular look for the
References: 2. J. E. Mcintyre and P. Daniels (Editors), Textile Terms and Definitions, I 0” edition, 1995, The Textile Institute, Manchester, 13K. 4. S. K. Mukhopadhyay, Modus, Vol. 14, No.2, 1996 5 nd (‘omposiws. L lIST, Manchester, 1985. 7. M. Grayson, (Editor), Encyclopedia of Textiles, Fibres andNonwoven Fabrics, John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1984. 8. Meredith, R., Elastomeric Fibres, Merrow Publishing Company, 1971. 9. F. W. Billmeyer, Jr., Text bookof Polymer Science, John Wiley and Sons,New York, 1971.