Textile Craft: Manmade Fiber

Spandex | Properties and Manufacturing Process

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<div>Spandex is a synthetic fibre or fabric made from a polymer containing polyurethane, used in the manufacture of elastic clothing. It is lightweight, soft, strong and very stretchable. In fact, spandex fibre was developed as an alternative to rubber but has a better quality than it. The name Lycra has also come to be a synonymous of spandex.</div>
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<h3><b>Lycra-Spandex Confusion</b></h3>
Lycra is the trademark name for the spandex, created by DuPont and subsequently sold to multinational corporation, Invista. Spandex is the generic name for the elastic fibre category, as defined by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. The two terms are often used interchangeably in everyday speech, though there are some minor differences between Lycra and generic spandex.
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<h3><b>Spandex Fibre Characteristics</b></h3>
<ul>
<li>Can be stretched repeatedly and still recover to very near its original length and shape</li>
<li>Generally, can be stretched more than 500% without breaking</li>
<li>Stronger, more durable and higher retractive force than rubber</li>
<li>Lightweight, soft, smooth, supple</li>
<li>In garments, provides a combination of comfort and fit, prevents bagging and sagging</li>
<li>Heat-settable — facilitates transforming puckered fabrics into flat fabrics, or flat fabrics into permanent rounded shapes</li>
<li>Dyeable</li>
<li>Resistant to deterioration by body oils, perspiration, lotions or detergents</li>
<li>Abrasion resistant</li>
<li>When fabrics containing spandex are sewn, the needle causes little or no damage from “needle cutting” compared to the older types of elastic materials</li>
<li>Available in fibre diameters ranging from 10 denier to 2500 denier</li>
<li>Available in clear and opaque lusters</li>
</ul>
<h3><b>Manufacturing Process of Spandex Fibre</b></h3>
<div>Spandex fibres are produced in four different ways including melt extrusion, reaction spinning, solution dry spinning, and solution wet spinning. Each of these methods involve the initial step of reacting monomers to produce a prepolymer. Then the prepolymer is reacted further, in various ways, and drawn out to produce a long fibre. Since solution dry spinning is used to produce over 90% of the world's spandex fibres, it is described.</div>
<ol>
<li>The first step in the production of spandex is the production of the prepolymer. This is done by mixing a macroglycol with a diisocyanate monomer. The compounds are mixed in a reaction vessel and under the right conditions they react to form a prepolymer. Since the ratio of the component materials produces fibres with varying characteristics, it is strictly controlled. A typical ratio of glycol to diisocyanate may be 1:2.
</li>
<li>In dry spinning fibre production, the prepolymer is further reacted with an equal amount of diamine. This is known as a chain extension reaction. The resulting solution is diluted with a solvent to produce the spinning solution. The solvent helps make the solution thinner and more easily handled. It can then be pumped into the fibre production cell.
</li>
<li>The spinning solution is pumped into a cylindrical spinning cell where it is cured and converted into fibres. In this cell, the polymer solution is forced through a metal plate, called a spinneret, which has small holes throughout. This causes the solution to be aligned in strands of liquid polymer. As the strands pass through the cell, they are heated in the presence of a nitrogen and solvent gas. These conditions cause the liquid polymer to chemically react and form solid strands.
</li>
<li>As the fibres exit the cell, a specific amount of the solid strands are bundled together to produce the desired thickness. This is done with a compressed air device that twists the fibres together. In reality, each fibre of spandex is made up of many smaller individual fibres that adhere to one another due to the natural stickiness of their surface.
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<li>The fibres are then treated with a finishing agent. This may be magnesium stearate or another polymer such as poly(dimethyl-siloxane). These finishing materials prevent the fibres from sticking together and aid in textile manufacture. After this treatment, the fibres are transferred through a series of rollers onto a spool. The windup speed of the entire process can be anywhere from 300-500 mi (482.7-804.5 km) per minute depending on the thickness of the fibres.
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<li>When the spools are filled with fibre, they are put into final packaging and shipped to textile manufacturers and other customers. Here, the fibres may be woven with other fibres such as cotton or nylon to produce the fabric that is used in clothing manufacture. This fabric can also be dyed to produce a desired color.
</li>
</ol>
<h3><b>Spandex Fibre Uses</b></h3>
<ul>
<li>Garments where comfort and fit are desired: hosiery, swimsuits, aerobic/exercise wear, ski pants, golf jackets, disposable diaper, waist bands, bra straps and bra side panels</li>
<li>Compression garments: surgical hose, support hose, bicycle pants, foundation garments</li>
<li>Shaped garments: bra cups</li>
</ul>
<h4><b>Spandex Fibre Care Tips</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>Hand or machine wash in lukewarm water</li>
<li>Do not use chlorine bleach on any fabric containing spandex. Use oxygen or sodium perborate type bleach</li>
<li>Rise thoroughly</li>
<li>Drip dry. If machine dried, use low temperature</li>
<li>Ironing, if required, should be done rapidly. Do not leave the iron too long in one position. Use low temperatures setting.</li>
</ul>

Spandex | Properties and Manufacturing Process

Spandex is a synthetic fibre or fabric made from a polymer containing polyurethane, used in the manufacture of elastic clothing. It is lig...

Basalt Fibre | Properties and Applications

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<div>The fibre is made from basalt stone by pulling fibres from the melt. It is similar to carbon fibre and fibreglass, having better physicomechanical properties than fibreglass, but being significantly cheaper than carbon fibre. It is used as a fireproof textile in the aerospace and automotive industries and can also be used as a composite to produce products such as camera tripods.</div>
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<h3><b>Source of Basalt fibre</b></h3>
<div>Basalt is a type of igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It is the most common rock in the Earth’s crust. Basalt rock characteristics vary from the source of lava, cooling rate, and historical exposure to the elements. High quality fibres are made from basalt deposits with uniform chemical makeup.</div><p>
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<p><div>The production of basalt and glass fibres are similar. Crushed basalt rock is the only raw material required for manufacturing the fibre. It is a continuous fibre produced through igneous basalt rock melt drawing at about 2,700° F (1,500° C).</div>
<div>Though the temperature required to produce fibres from basalt is higher than glass, it is reported by some researchers that production of fibres made from basalt requires less energy by due to the uniformity of its heating.</div>
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<h3><b>Properties of Basalt Fibre</b></h3>
<ul>
<li>Low level of micro cracks (up to 90%)</li>
<li>Increased flexural strength (up to 35%)</li>
<li>Increased concrete fatigue strength and resistance (> 400%)</li>
<li>Increased frost resistance (up to 35%)</li>
<li>Increased water tightness (up to 50%)</li>
<li>Increased surface endurance of concrete (up to 70%)</li>
<li>Decreased slivering of corners and edges (up to 90%)</li>
<li>Provision of tree-dimensional reinforcement</li>
<li>Lightness, high mechanical strength, corrosion and chemical resistance to alkali and other aggressive Environments</li>
<li>High friction, frost, heat, and moisture resistance</li>
<li>Sound absorption</li>
<li>Ability to filtrate aggressive substances</li>
<li>Unique chemical resistance</li>
<li>Resistance to salty sea water</li>
<li>Resistance to ultraviolet radiation</li>
<li>Dielectric character</li>
<li>Eco-friendliness</li>
</ul>
<h3><b>Applications of Basalt Fibre</b></h3>
<ul>
<li><b>Construction</b> - disperse concrete, mortar, dry mixes and structural products reinforcement for improving concretes and mortar crack resistance , waterproofing, easy concrete pouring, tensile strength at bending and compression, abrasion, steel rebar corrosion resistance in basalt reinforced concretes and as a result - increased durability of concrete structures.
</li>
<li><b>Mechanical Engineering</b> - composite materials, structural materials, constructions in conditions of high vibration, alternating loads, acoustic insulation, equipment thermal insulation, heat lines, disc reinforcement cutting grids. Filters for cleaning of exhaust gases from dust and industrial wastewater.
</li>
<li><b>Automotive industry</b> - composite materials, insulation materials for automotive exhaust systems, panels, insulating spacers, screens, reinforcing materials for brake pads and clutch plates, engineering plastics, non-combustible composites, cord for tires, chopped fibres for reinforcement of plastics and other materials. The materials for the fuel tanks manufacturing, cylinders for LPG and compressed natural gas.
</li>
<li><b>Shipbuilding</b> - composite materials resistant to sea water, thermal and sound insulation of equipment, construction materials, small shipbuilding - construction of hulls and superstructures.
</li>
<li><b>Rail-car manufacturing</b> - composite structural materials and products, thermal and sound insulation of rail-cars, reinforcement of structural plastics, non-combustible composite materials, electrical insulating materials.
</li>
<li><b>Aeronautics</b> - composite materials and articles for cabins, thermal and sound insulation of canvases, covered with waterproofing fabric for heat and sound insulation of engine and fuselage, exhaust sound insulation of gas-dynamic channels.
</li>
<li><b>Energy</b> - insulation of thermal equipment in steam boilers and turbines, electrical insulating materials, the carrier for a high-voltage lines. Materials for Nuclear Power - non-combustible insulation and construction materials. Basalt is also a good anti-radiation protection material.
</li>
<li><b>Electronics industry</b> - reinforcing material for the production of circuit boards, electrical insulation materials, construction materials of electronic equipment.
</li>
<li><b>Chemical and petrochemical industry</b> - production of chemical-resistant pipes, protective coatings, storage tanks for corrosive liquids, acids, alkalis, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, toxic substances. Filters for cleaning the exhaust gases from dust and industrial waste water. Pipes for oil pipelines. Fire-resistant composite materials.
</li>
<li><b>Metallurgy industry</b> - heat-insulating materials of thermal equipment, regeneration bath, piping. Filters for cleaning exhaust gases from dust at the mineral processing and metallurgical plants, filters for water treatment. Grid for filtering molten metals.
</li>
<li><b>Cryogenic equipment</b> - composite and insulation materials at the liquefied gases and liquid oxygen production, etc.
</li>
<li><b>Production of construction materials</b> - building construction and facing, reinforcing plaster mesh, waterproofing materials for roofs and underground structures, reinforcing mesh for cut-off wheels, basalt rebar, construction materials that ensure the seismic resistance of buildings, fire resistant materials for the construction of high buildings and critical facilities, basalt rebar for bridges and tunnels, railway sleepers and subway construction.
</li>
<li><b>Hydraulic engineering</b> - reinforcing materials for the dams construction, land irrigation material. Construction of port facilities, offshore platforms - reinforcing and structural materials of basalt.
</li>
<li><b>Agriculture</b> - mesh for soil strengthening, containers for storage and transportation of chemical liquids: fertilizers and pesticides.
</li>
<li><b>Public service</b> - Composite materials and products, materials for waste water filters, treatment plants, large-diameter pipes for water supply and waste water.</li>
</ul>

Basalt Fibre | Properties and Applications

The fibre is made from basalt stone by pulling fibres from the melt. It is similar to carbon fibre and fibreglass, having better physicome...

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Spandex | Properties and Manufacturing Process

Basalt Fibre | Properties and Applications

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