Acrylic fiber is a synthetic fiber made from polyacrylonitrile. It can be produced through wet spinning or dry spinning processes. Acrylic fiber has properties such as light weight, warmth, softness, moisture wicking, and shape retention. It is commonly used to make apparel, carpets, upholstery, and other household textiles due to its low cost, ease of care, and ability to mimic other natural fibers. Acrylic was first developed commercially in the 1950s and has grown to be one of the most widely used synthetic fibers globally.

1. TOPIC NAME:A STUDY ON
ACRYLIC FIBER

2.  Acrylic is defined as a manufactured fiber in which the fiber forming
substance is any long chain synthetic polymer composed of at least 85%
by weight of acrylonitrile units.
 Acrylic fibers made from a polymer with an average molecular weight of
100,000 ,about 1900 monomer units.
 It is composed of acrylonitrile and a comonomer.
 Modacrylic is a modified acrylic fiber that contains at least 35% and at
most 85% acrylonitrile monomer.
 Acrylic is lightweight,soft and warm,with a wool like feel.

3.  It can also be made to mimic other fibers such as cotton when spun on
short staple equipment.
 It has a superior moisture management,easy care,excellent light fastness
and sunlight resistance.
 Acrylic fibers take the third position among the synthetic fibers
considering the annual production capacity.
 It is produced with two different systems:wet spinning and dry spinning.
 It can be used 100% alone or in blends with other natural and synthetic
fiber.

4.  The first attempts to obtain acrylic fibers from acrylonitrile were made by
H.Rein of I.G.Farbenindustrie in 1931.
 Acrylic fiber was first commercially produced by Du Pont in 1950 under
the trade name of Orlon.
 In Germany,it came on the scene in 1942 and since 1954 has been
manufactured on a large scale.
 By 1960,sales of acrylic reached to 1 million pounds a year.
 First it was used for outdoor purposes,technology has allowed acrylic to
come a long way, and it is now most commonly used in apparel and
making carpets.

5.  It is regular.
 It is translucent.
 Slightly wavy filaments or staple.
 POLYMER SYSTEM
 The main component of the acrylic polymer is acrylonitrile monomer.
 It is a linear polymer with a degree of polymerization of about 2000.
 It is one of the longest man-made fibers polymers extruded to form a
textile filament.

6.  Tenacity:2-4.2 gm/den.
 Density:1.16gm/cc.
 Elongation:20 to 55%.
 Moisture regain(MR%):1-2.5%.
 Elasticity:Good.
 Melting point:230 deg C.

7.  Resiliency:Good.
 Ability to protest friction:Good.
 Color:White or grey white.
 Lusture:Bright to light.
 Hygroscopic nature:Hydrophobic.
 Flammability:Burns rapidly.

8.  Effect of acids:Acrylic has resistance against acidic actions.
 Effect of alkali:Strong alkali effect the fiber.
 Effect of bleaching:It is safe to bleach acrylic fiber.
 Organic solvent:Organic solvent do not cause harm to acrylic fiber.
 Protection ability against mildew:Excellent.
 Dyes:Acid and Basic dyes are suitable for dyeing acrylic fiber.

9.  Polyacrylonitrile tends to decompose on melting and the fibers are not
suitable to be spun by melt spinning process.
 The polymer contained in a spinning solution and then converted into a
yarn either by wet or dry spinning.
 WET SPINNING
 In wet spinning,a precipitating bath of water and a solvent is involved.
 The acrylic polymer is dissolved in a solvent such as dimethylacetamide
to form a viscous solution, i.e; a dope,which is deaerated,filtered and then
extruded through a spinneret into a coagulating bath.

10.  The coagulating bath contains a mixture of solvent and nonsolvent in
order to coagulate.
 DRY SPINNING
 Dry spinning of acrylic fibers was first employed commercially by Du
Pont Company in 1950.
 The polymer is dissolved in an organic solvent like dimethylformamide
to form a solution containing 25-32 per cent of acrylic polymer.
 This is degassed,filtered and heated to 100-150 deg C and then extruded
through a spinneret into a vertical chamber.

11.  Wash delicate items by hand in warm water. Static electricity may be
reduced by using a fabric softener in every third or fourth washing.
Gently squeeze out water, smooth or shake out garment and let dry on a
non-rust hanger.
 When machine washing, use warm water and add a fabric softener during
the final rinse cycle.
 Machine dry at a low temperature setting. Remove garments from dryer
as soon as possible.
 If ironing is required, use a moderately warm iron.

12.  Apparel:Sweaters, socks, fleece wear, circular knit apparel, sportswear
and childrens wear.
 Household Textiles: Carpet, blankets, area rugs, upholstery, pile fabrics.
 Outdoor end uses: Car tops, boat covers, awnings, outdoor furniture.
 Industrial end uses: Filtration materials, reinforcement materials in
construction, car batteries.

13.  THANK YOU#