A
textile is a flexible material consisting of a
network of natural or artificial
fibres often
referred to as thread or
yarn. Yarn is produced
by
spinning raw
wool fibres,
linen,
cotton, or other material on a
spinning wheel to produce long strands.
Textiles are formed by
weaving,
knitting,
crocheting,
knotting, or pressing fibres together
(
felt).
The words
fabric and
cloth are
used in textile assembly trades (such as
tailoring and
dressmaking)
as synonyms for
textile. However, there are subtle
differences in these terms in specialized usage.
Textile
refers to any material made of interlacing fibres.
Fabric
refers to any material made through weaving, knitting, crocheting,
or bonding.
Cloth refers to a finished piece of fabric
that can be used for a purpose such as covering a bed.
History
The
discovery of dyed flax fibres in the Republic of
Georgia
dated back in a cave to 36,000 BP suggests textile like materials were made
even in prehistoric times.
The production of textiles is a craft whose speed and scale of
production has been altered almost beyond recognition by
industrialization and the introduction of modern manufacturing
techniques. However, for the main types of textiles,
plain weave,
twill or
satin weave, there is little difference
between the ancient and modern methods.
Incas have been crafting
quipus (or
khipus) made of fibres either from a protein, such as spun
and plied thread like wool or hair from camelids such as alpacas,
llamas and camels or from a cellulose like cotton for thousands of
years. Khipus are a series of knots along pieces of string.
They have
been believed to only have acted as a form of accounting, although
new evidence conducted by Harvard
professor,
Gary Urton, indicates there may be more
to the khipu than just numbers. Preservation of khipus found
in museum and archive collections follow general
textile preservation principles and
practice.
Uses
Textiles have an assortment of uses, the most common of which are
for
clothing and containers such as
bags and
baskets. In the
household, they are used in
carpeting,
upholstered
furnishings,
window shades,
towels,
covering for tables, beds, and other flat surfaces, and in
art. In the workplace, they are used in industrial and
scientific processes such as filtering. Miscellaneous uses include
flags,
backpacks,
tents,
net,
cleaning devices such as
handkerchiefs and
rags,
transportation devices such as
balloons,
kite,
sails, and
parachutes;
and strengthening in
composite
materials such as
fibreglass and
industrial
geotextiles. Children can
learn using textiles to make
collages,
sew,
quilt, and make
toys.
Textiles used for industrial purposes, and chosen for
characteristics other than their appearance, are commonly referred
to as
technical
textiles. Technical textiles include textile structures
for automotive applications, medical textiles (e.g. implants),
geotextiles (reinforcement of embankments), agrotextiles (textiles
for
crop protection), protective
clothing (e.g. against heat and radiation for fire fighter
clothing, against molten metals for welders, stab protection, and
bullet proof vests). In all these
applications stringent performance requirements must be met. Woven
of threads coated with
zinc oxide
nanowires, laboratory fabric has been shown
capable of "self-powering nanosystems" using vibrations created by
everyday actions like wind or body movements.
Fashion and textile designs
Fashion designers commonly rely on textile designs to set their
fashion collections apart from others.
Marisol Deluna,
Nicole Miller,
Lilly
Pulitzer, the late
Gianni Versace
and
Emilio Pucci can be easily
recognized by their signature print driven designs.
Sources and types
Textiles can be made from many materials. These materials come from
four main sources: animal, plant, mineral, and synthetic. In the
past, all textiles were made from natural fibres, including plant,
animal, and mineral sources. In the 20th century, these were
supplemented by artificial fibres made from
petroleum.
Textiles are made in various strengths and degrees of durability,
from the finest
gossamer to the sturdiest
canvas. The relative thickness of fibres in
cloth is measured in
denier.
Microfibre refers to fibres made of
strands thinner than one denier.
Animal textiles
Animal textiles are commonly made from
hair or
fur.
Wool refers to the hair of the domestic
goat or
sheep, which is
distinguished from other types of animal hair in that the
individual strands are coated with scales and tightly crimped, and
the wool as a whole is coated with an
oil known
as
lanolin, which is waterproof and
dirtproof.
Woollen refers to a bulkier yarn
produced from carded, non-parallel fibre, while
worsted refers to a finer yarn which is spun from
longer fibres which have been combed to be parallel. Wool is
commonly used for warm clothing.
Cashmere, the hair of the Indian
cashmere goat, and
mohair, the hair of the North African
angora goat, are types of wool known for their
softness.
Other animal textiles which are made from hair or fur are
alpaca wool,
vicuña wool,
llama wool, and
camel
hair, generally used in the production of
coats,
jackets,
ponchos,
blankets, and other
warm coverings.
Angora refers to the
long, thick, soft hair of the
angora
rabbit.
Wadmal is a coarse cloth made of wool, produced in Scandinavia,
mostly 1000~1500CE.
Silk is an animal textile made from the fibres
of the
cocoon of the Chinese
silkworm. This is spun into a smooth, shiny fabric
prized for its sleek texture.
Plant textiles
Grass,
rush,
hemp, and
sisal are all
used in making rope. In the first two, the entire plant is used for
this purpose, while in the last two, only fibres from the plant are
utilized.
Coir (
coconut
fibre) is used in making
twine, and also in
floormats,
doormats,
brushes,
mattresses, floor
tiles, and
sacking.
Straw and
bamboo are both used to make hats. Straw, a
dried form of grass, is also used for stuffing, as is
kapok.
Fibres from
pulpwood trees, cotton,
rice, hemp, and
nettle are used in making
paper.
Cotton,
flax,
jute, hemp,
modal and
even bamboo fibre are all used in clothing.
Piña (
pineapple fibre)
and
ramie are also fibres used in clothing,
generally with a blend of other fibres such as cotton.
Acetate is used to increase the
shininess of certain fabrics such as
silks,
velvets, and
taffetas.
Seaweed is used in the production of
textiles. A water-soluble fibre known as
alginate is produced and is used as a holding
fibre; when the cloth is finished, the alginate is dissolved,
leaving an open area
Lyocell is a man-made fabric derived from
wood pulp. It is often described as a man-made silkequivalent and
is a tough fabric which is often blended with other fabrics -
cotton for example.
Mineral textiles
Asbestos and
basalt
fibre are used for vinyl tiles, sheeting, and adhesives,
"transite" panels and siding, acoustical ceilings, stage curtains,
and fire blankets.
Glass Fibre is used in the production of
spacesuits, ironing board and mattress
covers, ropes and cables, reinforcement fibre for
composite materials, insect netting,
flame-retardant and protective fabric, soundproof, fireproof, and
insulating fibres.
Metal fibre, metal foil, and metal wire have a variety of uses,
including the production of
cloth-of-gold and
jewelry. Hardware cloth is a coarse weave of steel
wire, used in construction.
Synthetic textiles
All synthetic textiles are used primarily in the production of
clothing.
Polyester fibre is used in all types of
clothing, either alone or blended with fibres such as cotton.
Aramid fibre (e.g.
Twaron) is used for flame-retardant clothing,
cut-protection, and armor.
Acrylic is a fibre used to imitate
wools, including cashmere, and is often used in replacement of
them.
Nylon is a fibre used to imitate silk; it is
used in the production of
pantyhose.
Thicker nylon fibres are used in
rope and
outdoor clothing.
Spandex (trade name
Lycra) is a
polyurethane fibre that stretches
easily and can be made tight-fitting without impeding movement. It
is used to make activewear,
bra, and
swimsuits.
Olefin fibre is a fibre used in
activewear, linings, and warm clothing. Olefins are hydrophobic,
allowing them to dry quickly. A sintered
felt
of olefin fibres is sold under the trade name
Tyvek.
Ingeo is a
polylactide fibre blended with other fibres such
as cotton and used in clothing. It is more hydrophilic than most
other synthetics, allowing it to wick away perspiration.
Lurex is a metallic fibre used in
clothing embellishment.
Milk proteins can also be used to create
synthetic fabric. Milk or
casein fibre cloth
was developed during
World War I in
Germany, and further developed in Italy and America during the
1930s. Milk fibre fabric is not very durable and wrinkles easily,
but has a pH similar to human skin and possesses anti-bacterial
properties. It is marketed as a
biodegradable,
renewable synthetic fibre.
Production methods
Weaving is a textile production method which
involves interlacing a set of longer
threads
(called the
warp) with a set of
crossing threads (called the
weft). This is
done on a frame or machine known as a
loom, of
which there are a number of types. Some weaving is still done by
hand, but the vast majority is mechanised.
Knitting and
crocheting involve interlacing loops of
yarn, which are formed either on a
knitting needle or on a
crochet hook, together in a line. The two
processes are different in that knitting has several active loops
at one time, on the knitting needle waiting to interlock with
another loop, while crocheting never has more than one active loop
on the needle.
Braiding or
plaiting
involves twisting threads together into cloth. Knotting involves
tying threads together and is used in making
macrame.
Lace is made by interlocking threads together
independently, using a backing and any of the methods described
above, to create a fine fabric with open holes in the work. Lace
can be made by either hand or machine.
Carpets,
rugs,
velvet,
velour, and
velveteen, are made by interlacing a secondary
yarn through woven cloth, creating a tufted layer known as a
nap or
pile.
Felting involves pressing a mat of fibres
together, and working them together until they become tangled. A
liquid, such as soapy water, is usually added to lubricate the
fibres, and to open up the microscopic scales on strands of
wool.
Treatments
Textiles are often
dyed, with fabrics
available in almost every colour. The dying process often requires
several dozen gallons of water. Coloured designs in textiles can be
created by weaving together fibres of different colours (
tartan or Uzbek Ikat), adding coloured stitches to
finished fabric (
embroidery), creating
patterns by
resist dyeing methods,
tying off areas of cloth and dyeing the rest (
tie-dyeing), or drawing wax designs on cloth and
dyeing in between them (
batik), or using
various printing processes on finished fabric.
Woodblock printing, still used in India
and elsewhere today, is the oldest of these dating back to at least
220CE in China
.
Textiles are also sometimes
bleached, making
the textile pale or white.
Textiles are sometimes finished by chemical processes to change
their characteristics. In the 19th century and early 20th century
starching was commonly used to make clothing
more resistant to stains and wrinkles. Since the 1990s, with
advances in technologies such as
permanent press process, finishing agents
have been used to strengthen fabrics and make them wrinkle
free.
[8297] More recently, nanomaterials research has led
to additional advancements, with companies such as Nano-Tex and
NanoHorizons developing permanent treatments based on metallic
nanoparticles for making textiles more
resistant to things such as water, stains, wrinkles, and pathogens
such as bacteria and fungi.
More so today than ever before, textiles receive a range of
treatments before they reach the end-user. From formaldehyde
finishes (to improve crease-resistance) to biocidic finishes and
from flame retardants to dyeing of many types of fabric, the
possibilities are almost endless. However, many of these finishes
may also have detrimental effects on the end user. A number of
disperse, acid and reactive dyes (for example) have been shown to
be allergenic to sensitive individuals . Further to this, specific
dyes within this group have also been shown to induce purpuric
contact dermatitis . Although formaldehyde levels in clothing are
unlikely to be at levels high enough to cause an allergic reaction
, due to the presence of such a chemical, quality control and
testing are of utmost importance. Flame retardants (mainly in the
brominated form) are also of concern where the environment, and
their potential toxicity, are concerned . Testing for these
additives is possible at a number of commercial laboratories, it is
also possible to have textiles tested for according to the
Oeko-tex Certification Standard which contains
limits levels for the use of certain chemicals in textiles
products.
See also
References
Sources
- Good, Irene. 2006. "Textiles as a Medium of Exchange in Third
Millennium B.C.E. Western Asia." In: Contact and Exchange in
the Ancient World. Edited by Victor H. Mair. University of Hawai'i Press,
Honolulu. Pages 191-214. ISBN 978-0824828844
- Fisher, Nora (Curator Emirta, Textiles & Costumes),
Museum of International
Folk Art. "Rio Grande Textiles." Introduction by Teresa
Archuleta-Sagel. 196 pages with 125 black and white as well as
color plates, Museum of New Mexico Press, Paperbound.
- David H. Abrahams, "Textile chemistry", McGraw Hill
Encyclopedia of Science—available in
AccessScience@McGraw-Hill, DOI
10.1036/1097-8542.687500, last modified: February 21, 2007.
(Subscription access)
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