Types of fibre

Textile materials are made in three stages:

1. Spinning [spinning: the drawing out and twisting a fibre into a continuous thread ] fibres into yarns
2. Weaving [weaving: forming a fabric by interlacing yarns, often using a loom ] or knitting [knitting: made by looping continuous lengths of yarn ] yarns to make fabrics
3. Finishing [finishing: final processes in garment manufacture - including overlocking, pressing, and decoration ] fabrics to make them more useful

There are two types of textile fibres: natural [natural: derived from animal, vegetable or mineral sources ] fibres and synthetic [synthetic: man-made - usually from chemical sources ] or man-made fibres.

Synthetic fibres are continuous filament [continuous filament: fibre that comes in long lengths, and therefore does not always need to be spun out into yarn. Silk is the only natural continuous filament fibre ] fibres, while natural fibres are usually short staple fibres [staple fibres: short fibres that have to be spun into yarn ]. The exception to this rule is silk - a natural fibre whose continuous filaments are up to one kilometre in length!

Where fibres come from:-

• Natural fibres come from plants and animals: cotton from the cotton plant, linen from the flax plant, wool from sheep, silk from silkworms.
• Synthetic fibres are manufactured using plant materials and minerals: viscose comes from pine trees or petrochemicals, while acrylic, nylon and polyester come from oil and coal.