Synthetic Fibers

What Are Synthetic Fibers?

 Recall the uniform pattern found in a necklace of beads joined with  the help of a thread. Or, try  to join a number of paper clips together to make a long chain. There any similarity between the two? A synthetic fiber is also a chain of small units joined together. Each small unit is actually a chemical substance. Many such small units, combine to form a large single unit called a polymer. The word polymer has been derived from two Greek words. The word poly and mer. means 'many' and merstands for part/unit. So, a polymer is made up of many repeating units.

Types Of Synthetic Fibers

Rayon
You have studied in your previous class that natural silk from silkworm was discovered in China and was kept as a closely guarded secret for a long time. Silk was a costly fabric. But its beautiful texture fascinated everybody. Many attempts were made to make artificial silk. Towards the end of the nineteenth century scientists were successful in obtaining a fiber having properties similar to that of silk.

Although rayon is obtained from  a natural source, wood pulp, it is a man-made fiber. It is cheaper than silk, but can be woven like silk fibers. It can also be dyed in a wide variety of colors. Rayon is mixed with cotton to make bed sheets or mixed with wool to make carpets.

Nylon

Nylon is also an artificial fiber. In the year 1931, this fiber was made without wing any plant or animal.

Characteristics

• Nylon is strong, elastic and light.
• It is lustrous.
• It is easy to wash.
• For the above reasons it has become very popular for making clothes.

Polyester And Acrylic

Polyester is another synthetic fiber.

Characteristics
Polyester fiber does not wrinkled easily. It remains crisp and is easy to wash. Polyester are quite suitable for making dress material. Terylene is a type of popular polyester. It can be drawn into very fine fibers that can be woven like any other yarn.

Characteristics Of Synthetic Fibers

Imagine that it is a rainy day. What kind of umbrella would you use and why? Synthetic fibres possess unique characteristics which make then popular dress materials. Some of these characteristics are:

• Synthetic fibers dry up soon.
• They are durable.
• They are less expensive.
• Synthetic fibers are readily available.
• Above all, they are easy to maintain.
• Perform the following activity and learn for yourself.