Yarn StructureProperties and Performance of Textiles

Looking Back

Fabric is made up of yarns, which are made from fibres. Fibres and yarns are interlaces (woven), interlooped (knitted) or bonded together (non-woven) to make fabrics.

Yarns are the basic components of all fabric construction excluding non-wovens.

How fabric is produced

FibresAre the raw material used to make

textile items. They are spun or twisted together to make yarns.

YarnsAre made from fibres either natural or man-made. They are interlaced, interloped or bonded together to

make fabrics.

FabricsAre made from yarns . Different types of fabric are produced by different methods of joining the

yarns or fibres together.

Types of Yarns

Staple spun• Made from cotton, wool or manufactured fibres cut into short lengths.

• Properties Usually weak and uneven with poor lustre and durability. Good elasticity, resiliency and absorbency.

• End –uses Apparel and furnishings

Monofilament• Made from one filament of a manufactured fibre such as rayon or polyester

• Properties Fine strong yarn with good durability and lustre. Inelastic, poor resiliency and absorbency.

• End-uses Hosiery and invisible sewing thread.

Multifilament• Made from 2 or more filaments of a manufactured fibre, such as rayon, polyester or nylon.

• Properties Even, strong yarn with good lustre and durability.

• End-uses evening wear and lingerie.

Yarn twist

The purpose of twisting the fibres is to hold them together.

The twist is the most important factor in determining properties.

Without twist , yarns have little strength.

A ply yarn is formed by twisting 2 or more simple yarns together.

Low twist vs high twist

FirmSmooth

Good LustreGood Resiliency

StrongGood abrasion resistance

Poor insulationPoor absorbencyGood ElasticityQuick Drying

SoftHairy

Low lustrePoor resiliency

WeakPoor abrasion resistance

Good insulationGood absorbency

Slow drying

Types of Spinning

STAPLE SPINNING

Turns short fibres such as cotton or wool into yarns.

Fibres are carded or combed in cotton production.

Woollen and worsten processing refers to wool yarn production.

EXTRUSION SPINNING

Creates yarns by pushing a fibre forming substance through a spinneret.

The substance will the solidify and form a fibre.

Rayon, nylon and polyester are created by this method.

There are 2 types of extrusion spinning – Wet Spinning and Melt Spinning

Activities

1. Describe the difference between:a) melt and wet spinningb) woollen and worsted yarnsc) combed and carded yarns

2. Choose 1 natural fibre and 1 manufactured fibre. Using your own words and diagrams, create a flow chart on bubbl.us that shows the spinning process from fibre to yarn.

3. Research how to hand spin yarns and use woolen fibres create your own yarn