1. Manufactured Fibers Apparel 1, Obj. 2.01
Recognize characteristics of Natural and Man-Made Fibers

2. Manufactured fibers Man-made Use chemicals and chemical processes
Many include petroleum products
Some use wood pulp (as cellulose)
Do things most natural fibers can’t (stretch, be waterproof, wick moisture)
Photo by davedehetre via Flickr
This photo shows polyester fashion
from the 70s.

3. Types of manufactured fibers
There are two types of manufactured fibers.
Cellulosic fibers – Fibers (either man-made or natural) that are made with plant products
and
Noncellulosic fibers – fibers that are not plant-based and created from synthetic materials (chemically derived)

4. Acetate
Fake silk. Shiny and drapes like silk. Very delicate. Melts easily with heat or nail polish remover.
From madeinchina.com

5. acrylic
Fake wool. Soft and shiny, draws moisture from the body. Washable (unlike wool). Cannot take high heat.
From wisegeek.org

6. A cellulosic manufactured fiber, it is one of the newest man-made fibers to be developed.
It is a form of rayon and was first marketed under the name Tencel in the 1980s.
Lyocell is made by dissolving wood pulp in chemicals. Fibers are then extracted.

7. lyocell
"Some main characteristics of lyocell fibers are that they are soft, absorbent, very strong when wet or dry, and resistant to wrinkles; lyocell fabric can be machine- or hand- washed or drycleaned, it drapes well, and it can be dyed many colors, and can simulate a variety of textures such as suede, leather, and silk.” from Fibersource.com
Check out Lyocell at this link.
tutor/lyocell.htm

8. rayon The first manufactured fiber Made from cellulose (wood pulp)
Most often must be dry cleaned
Is absorbent (most manufactured fabrics aren’t)

9. nylon Introduced in 1939, called a “miracle fiber” *
Strong, lightweight and lustrous
Can be translucent
Changed fashion world as nylon stockings
Also used for parachutes
From Wikipedia commons
* From “Clothing, Fashion, Fabrics and Construction” Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2003

10. Polyester 60s and 70s were not kind to polyester
Most often blended with cotton
Wrinkle resistant
Can be washed and dried at home
Holds oil-based stains

11. spandex Has placed rubber in most uses Stretches and springs back
Makes modern swim suits possible
Frequently blended with cotton

12. Olefin A manufactured fiber that was developed in the 1950s in Italy.
It is a fiber that is durable, has bulk but is lightweight and very strong. It is resilient and colorfast.
It gives warmth without being heavy and is resistant to staining, mildew, abrasion, sunlight.
Used to make sports and active wear, socks, thermal underwear; lining fabrics.

13. olefin

14. Blended fibers/fabrics
Two or more fibers working together create a blend.
Blends allow manufacturers to give the best qualities of each fiber to the finished fabric
Polyester and cotton, most common blend.
Polyester gives cotton wrinkle resistance.
Cotton gives polyester softness and breathability
The ubiquitous poly-cotton T-shirt, modeled by Forrest.