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Fashion

3. Fabric for Fashion / Clive Hallett and
Amanda Johnston
Section 3
Man-made fibres: Artificial fibres

4. Objectives Differentiate between synthetic and artificial fibres
Describe cellulose fibres
Identify the key properties of acetate and viscose rayon
Describe the eco-friendly credentials of lyocell fibres
Summarize the main characteristics of corn, soya, milk and castor oil biopolymer fibres

5. Man-made fibres
Man-made fibres can be categorized as synthetic or artificial
Synthetic fibres are made from chemicals derived from fossil fuels
Artificial fibres are either plant cellulose or bio- engineered
Plant cellulose fibres are regenerated from natural sources such as wood
Bio-engineered fibres use proteins, sugars or starches as a starting point

7. Cellulose
Fibres are made from naturally occurring cellulose present in all plants
Term artificial implies chemical intervention is needed for processing
Practical applications of cellulose acetate dates back to 1860s
Silk substitute cellulose acetate first produced commercially in 1920s
Referred to as artificial silk, viscose or rayon

8. Cellulose Cellulose fibres can be natural or regenerated
Wood and cotton linters main source of artificial cellulose fibres
New generation of cellulose fibres made from sustainable wood sources
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9. Acetate and triacetate fibres
Construction of the acetate and triacetate fibres differ by the number of processes involved
Both produced from wood pulp or cotton linters
Both fibres have poor abrasion resistance but good resistance to pilling

10. Acetate and triacetate fibres
Acetate is a low-cost fibre that blends well with natural fibres
Silk-like appearance of acetate makes it an ideal lining fabric
Triacetate is more heat resistant

11. Viscose rayon Processed from wood pulp or cotton linters
Term viscose used in Europe; descriptive of its production process
U.S. adopted term ‘rayon’ (French for ‘ray of light’) in 1920s
Designation ‘rayon’ only applies today to fibres made from regenerated cellulose produced by the viscose process

12. Viscose rayon Yarn and fabric dye well Natural lustre
Fabrics absorbent with soft, smooth touch
Lacks durability and insulative properties

13. Viscose rayon
Traditional viscose rayon is not environmentally friendly
New production turning towards sustainable plantations and eco-friendly alternatives
Cupro (Cuprammonium rayon) is made from organic cellulose fibres reborn from discarded cotton linters
Bemberg™ produces cupro yarns and fabrics; Bemberg linings are used in expensive tailoring

14. Lyocell
New generation viscose rayon made from wood pulp from sustainable sources
Fabric obtained by an organinc solvent spinning process
Generally regarded as an eco-friendly fabric
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15. Lyocell
TENCEL®, Modal® and Seacell® produced by the lyocell process using non-toxic recyclable solvents
TENCEL®: made from fast-growing eucalyptus which thrive on poor soil and require no irrigation
Modal®: made from beech trees which improve soil quality and require no irrigation; processing is carbon neutral, fabric is biodegradable
Seacell®: made from seaweed and cellulose fibre
Fabrics have good tensile strength, cotton-like qualities with a soft touch

16. Biopolymer fibres
Textile research has centred on expanding plant varieties for fibre production and replacing chemicals with natural enzymes
Adoption of biotechnology cuts processing costs and helps towards a cleaner environment
Azlon is a group of man-made fibres made from regenerated naturally occurring proteins such as those found in corn, soya, milk and castor oil beans

17. Corn fibre
Corn fibre first developed during 1940s and revisited in 1990s
Strong stable fibres with low flammability and resistant to UV light
Abundant raw material using little energy to produce; garments degrade naturally
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18. Soya fibre Henry Ford pioneered soya fibre in 1930s
Marketed as a green fibre that completely biodegrades
Manufacturing processes do not pollute
Post production residue used as animal feed
In many countries soya production is non-organic and genetically modified

19. Soya fibre
A renewable botanic protein beneficial when worn next to the skin
Smooth as cashmere with a silk-like lustre
Fibres repel UV light
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20. Milk fibre (casein) Fibre used as a wool substitute in 1940s
Fibres breathe, capture and dissipate moisture
Milkwood (Lenpur®) is a milk and wood cellulose
QMilch® is produced from waste milk; a smooth fibre more akin to silk than wool
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21. Castor oil fibre Non-GM crop that needs little irrigation
Once toxins neutralized the viscose substance is processed like other man- made fibres
A high-performance, abrasion-resistant bacteriostatic non-fossil fuel fibre with thermo- regulating properties ideal for technical clothing
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22. Key points
Synthetic fibres are made from chemicals derived from fossil fuels; artificial fibres are either plant cellulose or bio-engineered  
Artificial cellulose fibres can be natural or regenerated, made from wood or cotton linters
Acetate is a low-cost fibre with a silk-like appearance; traditional viscose rayon has a smooth touch but lacks durability
Lyocell is a new generation viscose rayon made from wood pulp from sustainable sources
Collectively known as Azlon fibres, corn, soya, milk, and castor oil bean fibres are processed from regenerated naturally occurring proteins