Introduction
An artificial fiber can be defined as any fiber or filament produced artificially rather than naturally. The chemistry, physics, heat, and light properties of an artificial fiber are those that have been engineered by the manufacturer in its production processes. This ability to manipulate and control the end product is one of the key factors that cause artificial fibres to behave differently from naturally occurring ones.
Artificial fibre consumption by the textiles sector has increased dramatically over several decades to a stage where it generally represents about 74% of global fibre consumption.
For the wearer or customer, the engineered properties are immediately apparent, in terms of the feel of the finished fabric on the skin, in terms of the fabric’s stretch and breathability, in terms of the fabric’s ability to withstand heat and repeated use.
Types of Manmade Fibers
The artificial fibers fall into two distinct groups according to their starting material. One group is regenerated fibers formed from natural cellulose (which includes viscose, modal, Lyocell and cuprammonium), while the other group includes the completely synthetic fibers formed from petrochemical polymers by polymerisation (which includes nylon, polyester and acrylic). There are several other methods of classifying the artificial fibers, but a neat, simple approach is to distinguish between regenerated fibers which were originally natural polymers and synthetic fibers which start as petrochemical polymers.
A. Organic Manmade Fibers
An artificial fiber is considered organic if a significant proportion of the primary polymer chain contains hydrocarbons. Organic artificial fibers are used for numerous purposes, the most common being clothing. It is reasonable to assume that the fiber was selected for its softness, drape, or stretchability, which suit a specific garment. Organic artificial fibers are further divided into two classifications depending on the source of the starting raw material.
a) Regenerated Manmade Fiber
A regenerated fiber is defined as a fiber formed by drawing a natural organic polymer through a regeneration stage resulting in a fiber form. The classification into four groups;
Cellulosic fiber: These fibers are regenerated from cellulose-based materials such as wood pulp (often Eucalyptus, Beech or Pine) and thus include Bamboo, Soy, Sugar cane, etc, or from short cellulosic fibers. They are known for good uniformity, good strength, and good moisture performance. Viscous Rayonne, Cupro and Modal are some of the dominant types, and they are commonly used in clothing applications where a soft hand and good drape are required.
Cellulosic ester: Formed by chemically combining a cellulosic material (such as cotton linters) and an acid anhydride to form a cellulose ester along with a carboxylic acid. The main types are acetate and triacetate, which are cheap and have good draping qualities. Some of the trade names are Acele, Avisco, Celanese and Estron. They are often used for linings and special occasions as they have an attractive finish and drape well.
Protein-based fiber: Produced through fiber regeneration of plant or animal proteins, which are naturally non-fibrous. The resulting fibers include casein, zein, and azlon, although they now only represent a minority position in most apparel markets.
26. Miscellaneous: A minor category of miscellaneous specialty fibers used for specific technical functions (e.g., alginate, rubber), not usually for general clothing use.
b) Synthetic Manmade Fiber
The term synthetic fiber refers to a fiber made from polymers derived from petrochemical sources rather than raw materials of a naturally occurring substance, and is usually the fiber of preference when expectation rather than appearance or hand is prioritized. This classification can be further divided into six categories including:
Polyamide: Fibres constructed upon the presence of an amide (-CONH) linkage within the principal chain of the polymer, which could be aliphatic, semi-aromatic, or fully aromatic in composition. Nylon and aramids are the best-known polyamides, and they are favored whenever a combination of strength, abrasion resistance, and resilience is required.
Polyester: Chemically classified as polyethylene terephthalate or PET, polyester has an ester group present in every repeating unit within the polymer chain and comes from a mainly petroleum source. Dacron, Terylene, and Kodel are some trade names. It is widely used in sportswear and uniforms and blends due to it being strong, quick drying, and easy to care for.
Polyvinyl derivatives: The most common textile fibers of this group are the acrylic and modacrylic or polyacrylonitrile (the chemical name of acrylic). It is used in sweaters, blankets and knitwear of all kinds, often as an imitation wool.
Polyolefin: Chemically an aliphatic polymeric hydrocarbon based on ethene, propene or similar olefin units, these fibers are characterized by extremely high levels of tensile strength, excellent wear resistance and good chemical resistance. Reevon and Courlene are two famous polyolefins, although they tend to be encountered more often on a fishing line than on the runways.
Polyurethane: A rubbery, elastomeric fiber that can be stretched four or five times its original length and will recover very quickly and entirely when the load is released. Commonly known as Lycra or Spandex, this fiber is often found in blends in very small amounts to create fabric with stretch and recover.
Miscellaneous: A lesser-known fiber of all-comers, composed of core-spun fibers, which is in most cases formulated for a particular fabric function instead of general use in clothing.
B. Inorganic Manmade Fibers
Inorganic artificial fibers have main chains that are free of any hydrocarbons, and are therefore primarily used in technical and functional textile fabrics. They are often used as reinforcement in plastics for the production of composite materials. This group includes fiber types made from metal, ceramic, carbon, or glass and is commonly used to produce work, protective, filtration, thermal, or insulating clothing in addition to structural members for composite materials where traditional clothing fibers would fail.
In other words, it is the presence of these artificial fibers that allows textile manufacturers to be so controlling in the way garments feel when worn, stretch, last, and perform, and therefore accounts for their increased use not just in clothing textiles but in the highly technical fields of their production as well.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. List some artificial fibers.
A few widespread artificial fibers are viscose, modal, Lyocell, polyester, nylon, acrylic, and spandex. They are used in home textiles, technical textiles, and apparel depending on the activity.
Q2. What distinguishes regenerated and synthetic fibers?
The former are derived from natural polymers like cellulose or protein processed into fibers; the latter are produced entirely from petrochemical polymers such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic.
Q3. Which fiber is polyester?
Manmade Yes- Polyester is a synthetic artificial fiber, known for itslong-lasting nature. Since it is a synthetic fiber, it is easy to dry as well as blend.
Q4. Are synthetic fibers harmful to the environment?
Not to all fibers. While synthetic fibers from non-renewable resources have the possibility of releasing microfibers into the ocean and freshwater systems, regenerated cellulosic fibers may be more environmentally sustainable than other fiber productions.
Q5. For what purpose have inorganic human-made fibers been developed?
Mainly for technical textiles, composite materials, filtration, insulation, and protective garments. Wherever conventional cellulosic, polyolefinic, and polyamide apparel fibers lack strength or stability.
