Fiber Properties

1. COTTON

2. COTTON
1. Tensile Strength: 3.9 – 4.0 g/den
2. Elongation at break: 3 – 10%
3. Color: Color of raw cotton varies from white to Yellow and Grey
4. Tenacity: Dry 3 to 5 g/d
Wet 3.3 to 6 g/d
5. Length: 1.5 to 2.5 inch
6. Luster: The fibers are fairly dull inherently
7. Density: 1.54 g/cm3
8. Elastic Recovery: Relatively Low
9. Moisture Content: 7 - 8% at standard condition
10. Resiliency: Low
11. Specific Gravity: 1.54
12. Effect Of Heat: Decomposes when exposed at the temperature
about 300 F
13. Effect Of Sunlight: Prolong exposure weakens fiber

3. WOOL

4. WOOL1. Natural and renewable – wool is grown not made; every year sheep grow a new
fleece. Wool products also use less energy than man-made fibers during
manufacture.
2. Sun safe – wool has naturally high UV protection.
3. Flame retardant – wool fiber has a higher ignition threshold than many other fibers
and is flame retardant up to 600º C. It also produces less toxic fumes in a fire.
4. Biodegradable – when disposed of, natural wool fiber takes only a few years to
decompose, and with a high nitrogen content, wool can even act as a fertilizer.
5. Breathable – wool’s natural structure allows it to absorb and release water vapour
into the atmosphere, keeping you warm in winter and cool in summer.
6. Non allergenic – wool is not known to cause allergy and does not promote the
growth of bacteria. With microscopic scales, wool fibers can trap dust in the top
layers until vacuumed away.
7. Durable and elastic – wool fiber can be bent 20,000 times without breaking and
still have the power to recover and return to its natural shape. Quality wool
garments look good for longer.
8. Easy care – modern wool can be machine-washed; retaining a small amount of
natural oil, wool fiber resists dirt and grease.
9. Multi-Climatic – wool acclimatizes to its surroundings.
10. Naturally insulating – wool can insulate the home providing and retaining warmth,

5. SILK

6. SILK
1. Tensile Strength: Good tensile strength, which allows it to withstand great pulling
pressure. Silk is the strongest natural fiber and has moderate abrasion resistance.
2. Elongation at break: Silk Fiber is an elastic fiber and may be stretched from 1/7 to 1/5
of its original length before breaking.
3. Drapability: Silk has a liability and suppleness that, aided by its elasticity and
resilience, gives it excellent Drapability.
4. Length: Silk is the only filament fiber .
5. Luster: Silk is famous for its high luster / Shine.
6. Elastic Recovery: It tends to return to its original size but gradually loses little of its
elasticity. This would mean that the fabric would be less sagging and less binding
resulting in the wearers comfort.
7. Moisture Content: Silk fiber can generally absorb about 11 percent of its weight in
moisture, but the range varies from 10 percent to as much as 30 percent. This property
is also a major factor in silk’s ability to be printed and dyed easily.
8. Resiliency: Silk fabrics retain their shape and have moderate resistance to wrinkling.
Fabrics that are made from short – staple spun silk have less resilience.
9. Heat Conductivity: Silk is a protein fiber and is a non-conductor of heat similar to that
of wool. This makes silk suitable for winter apparel.
10. Effect Of Heat: Silk is sensitive to heat and begins to decompose at 330° F (165° C).
The silk fabrics thus have to be ironed when damp.
11. Effect Of Sunlight: Silk fabric weakens on exposure to sun light. Raw silks are more
resistant to light than degummed silk.

7. FLAX

8. 1. Tensile Strength: Linen is a strong fiber. It has a tenacity of 5.5 to
6.5 gm/den. The strength is greater than cotton fiber.
2. Elongation at break: Linen does not stress easily. It has an
elongation at break of 2.7 to 3.5 %.
3. Color: The color of linen fiber is yellowish to grey.
4. Length: 18 to 30 inch in length.
5. Luster: It is brighter than cotton fiber and it is slightly silky.
6. Elastic Recovery: Linen fiber has not enough elastic recovery poor.
7. Specific Gravity: Specific gravity of linen fiber is 1.50.
8. Moisture Regain (MR %): Standard moisture regain is 10 to 12%.
9. Resiliency: Very poor.
10. Effect of Heat: Linen has an excellent resistance to degradation by
heat. It is less affected than cotton fiber by the heat.
11. Effect of Sun Light: Linen fiber is not affected by the sun light as
others fiber. It has enough ability to protect sun light.
FLAX
Physical Properties

9. JUTE

10. 1. Jute fibers is 100% bio-degradable and recyclable and thus environmentally
friendly.
2. Jute is a natural fibers with golden and silky shine and hence called The
Golden fibers.
3. Cheapest vegetable fibers procured from the bast.
4. second most important vegetable fibers after cotton, in terms of usage,
global consumption, production, and availability.
5. high tensile strength, low extensibility, and ensures better breathability of
fabrics.
6. Jute stem has very high volume of cellulose that can be procured within 4-6
months, and hence it also can save the forest and meet cellulose and wood
requirement of the world.
7. The best varieties of Jute are Bangla Tosha - Corchorus olitorius (Golden
shine) and Bangla White - Corchorus capsularis (Whitish Shine), and Mesta
or Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) is another species with fibers similar to Jute
with medium quality.
8. It helps to make best quality industrial yarn, fabric, net, and sacks. It is one
of the most versatile natural fibers that has been used in raw materials for
packaging, textiles, non-textile, construction, and agricultural sectors.
JUTE
Physical Properties

11. COIR

12. 1. Length in inches…………6-8
2. Density (g/cc)………………….1.40
3. Tenacity (g/Tex)………………10.0
4. Breaking elongation%..............30%
5. Diameter in mm………….0.1 to 1.5
6. Rigidity of Modulus……….1.8924 dyne/cm2
7. Swelling in water (diameter)…………5%
8. Moisture at 65% RH…………10.50%
COIR
1. Lignin……………..............…45.84%
2. Cellulose………….............…43.44%
3. Hemi-Cellulose……………................00.25%
4. Pectin’s and related Compound…………03.00%
5. Water soluble……………..........05.25%
6. Ash…………………….............02.22%

13. 1. Tensile Strength: 140-150 Mpa
2. Elongation at break: 30%
3. Color:
4. Length: 6 – 8 inches
5. Luster:
6. Elastic Recovery:
7. Moisture Content:
8. Resiliency:
9. Specific Gravity:
10. Effect Of Heat:
11. Effect Of Sunlight:
COIR

14. SISAL

15. SISAL
1. Sisal Fiber is exceptionally durable with a low maintenance
with minimal wear and tear.
2. It is Recyclable.
3. Sisal fibers are obtained from the outer leaf skin, removing the
inner pulp.
4. It is available as plaid, herringbone and twill.
5. Sisal fibers are Anti static, does not attract or trap dust particles
and does not absorb moisture or water easily.
6. The fine texture takes dyes easily and offers the largest range
of dyed colours of all natural fibers.
7. It exhibits good sound and impact absorbing properties.
8. Its leaves can be treated with natural borax for fire resistance
properties.

16. Uses And Application
1. Sisal is used commonly in the shipping industry for mooring small craft,
lashing, and handling cargo.
2. It is also surprisingly used as the fibre core of the steel wire cables of
elevators, being used for lubrication and flexibility purposes. Traditionally
sisal was the leading material for agricultural twine or baler twine.
Although this has now been overtaken by polypropylene.
3. It is used in automobile industry with fiberglass in composite materials.
4. Other products developed from sisal fiber include spa products, cat
scratching posts, lumbar support belts, rugs, slippers, cloths and disc
buffers.
5. Sisal is used by itself in carpets or in blends with wool and acrylic for a
softer hand.

17. HEMP

18. HEMP
1. Length: average 8 ” (20 cm) in length.
2. Luster: High
3. Strength: High
4. Elasticity: Low, can be treated to improve.
5. Heat Conductivity: high, very cool fabric to wear
6. Absorbency: High
7. Cleanliness and Wash ability: High
8. Reaction to Bleach: will weaken, use with care
9. Reaction to Heat: will scorch and burn
10. Effect of Mildew: highly resistant
11. Effect of Sunlight: very resistant
12. Affinity of Dyes: very good

19. CASHMERE

20. CASHMERE
1. Tensile Strength
2. Elongation at break:
3. Color: Gray, brown and white.
4. Length:
5. Luster: Good Luster
6. Elastic Recovery:
7. Moisture Content:
8. Resiliency:
9. Specific Gravity:
10. Effect Of Heat:
11. Effect Of Sunlight:

21. MOHAIR

22. MOHAIR
1. DURABILITY: Mohair can be twisted or bent without damaging the fiber. This is due
to its structure, supporting the claim that it is the most durable of all animal fibers.
2. ELASTICITY: Mohair will stretch an average 30% over its length and then will be
able to spring back into shape. Due to this property, mohair garments resist
wrinkling, stretching or sagging during wear.
3. MOISTURE RELATION: All natural fibers from animals have the ability to absorb
and release atmospheric moisture. They breathe where man made fibers do not.
4. RESISTANCE TO SOILING: This property commends its use for woven fabrics, due
to the factor that dust does not come to rest on slippery fibers. Shaking and brushing
can easily remove any dust remaining on woven fabrics.
5. DYE ABILITY: Mohair dyes easily and brilliantly.
6. TENSILE STRENGTH: Mohair possesses great strength. Diameter to diameter, it is
stronger than steel.
7. FINENESS: The single most important characteristic in selecting mohair.
8. LUSTER: light reflecting properties, giving a sheen effect.
9. NON-FLAMABILITY: Mohair is almost non-flammable. When placed under, or near,
a naked flame, it tends to shrivel into a bead like ash.
10. RESILIENCY: Most resilient natural textile fiber