Katrin‘s assignment
I chose 5 related terminologies for the Matelial knowledge assignment:
The material- Beta cloth
The fibre- Spandex, Alpaca, Pashmina
Test of pilling resistance- video
Beta Cloth


Beta cloth consists of fine woven silica fiber,
similar to fiberglass.
The resulting fabric will not burn, and will melt only at temperatures
exceeding 650 °C. To reduce its tendency to crease or tear when manipulated,
and to increase durability, the fibers may be coated with Teflon.
Beta cloth was developed by a Manned Spacecraft Center team led by
Frederick S. Dawn and including Matthew I. Radofsky working with the Dow-Corning
Company. It was implemented in NASA space suits
after the deadly 1967 Apollo 1 launch pad fire, in which the astronauts' nylon suits
burned through. The fire-resistant Beta cloth was among changes to make the
Apollo spacecraft and systems safer in the event of a similar situation.
Source:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_cloth
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19930015285_1993015285.pdf
Spandex
Spandex or elastane is a synthetic fiber
known for its exceptional elasticity. It is strong, but less durable than
its major non-synthetic competitor, natural latex. It is a polyurethane-polyurea copolymer
that was invented in 1959 by chemists C. L. Sandquist and Joseph Shivers
at DuPont's
Benger Laboratory in Waynesboro, Virginia. When first introduced, it
revolutionized many areas of the clothing industry.
The name "spandex" is an anagram of the word
"expands".[1] It is
the preferred name in North America; in continental Europe it is
referred to by variants of "elastane", i.e. elasthanne
(France), elastan (Germany), elastano (Spain and Portugal), elastam
(Italy) and Elasthaan (Holland), and is known in the UK, Ireland,
Argentina, Australia and New Zealand primarily as Lycra. Brand names for spandex include Lycra (made by Koch
subsidiary Invista,
previously a part of DuPont), Elaspan
(also Invista), Acepora (Taekwang), Creora (Hyosung),
ROICA and Dorlastan (Asahi Kasei),
Linel (Fillattice), and ESPA (Toyobo).
Spandex fibers are produced in
four different ways: melt extrusion, reaction spinning, solution dry spinning,
and solution wet spinning. All of these methods include the initial step of
reacting monomers
to produce a prepolymer. Once the prepolymer is formed, it is reacted further
in various ways and drawn out to make the fibers. The solution dry spinning
method is used to produce over 94.5% of the world's spandex fibers.
Solution dry spinning
Step 1: The first step is to
produce the prepolymer. This is done by mixing a macroglycol with a diisocyanate
monomer. The two compounds are mixed in a reaction vessel to produce a
prepolymer. A typical ratio of glycol to diisocyanate is 1:2
Step 2: The prepolymer is further
reacted with an equal amount of diamine. This reaction is known as chain extension
reaction. The resulting solution is diluted with a solvent (DMAc) to produce the
spinning solution. The solvent helps make the solution thinner and more easily
handled, and then it can be pumped into the fibre production cell.
Step 3: 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. 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. This process
causes the liquid polymer to react chemically and form solid strands.
Step 4: As the fibres exit the
cell, an amount of solid strands are bundled together to produce the desired
thickness. 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.
Step 5: The resulting fibres are
then treated with a finishing agent which can be magnesium stearate or another polymer. This
treatment prevents the fibres' sticking together and aids in textile
manufacture. The fibres are then transferred through a series of rollers onto a
spool.
Major spandex fibre uses


Apparel
and clothing articles where stretch is desired, generally for comfort and
fit, such as:
- athletic, aerobic, and exercise apparel
- belts
- bra
straps and side panels
- cycling
jerseys and shorts
- dance
belts worn by male ballet dancers and others
- gloves
- hosiery
- leggings
- netball
bodysuits
- orthopaedic braces
- cross country race suits
- ski pants
- skinny
jeans
- socks
- swimsuits/bathing
suits
- underwear
- Compression garments such as:
- foundation garments
- motion capture suits
- Shaped garments such as:
- bra cups
- support hose
- women's volleyball
shorts
- wrestling singlets
- Home
furnishings, such as microbead
pillows
For clothing,
spandex is usually mixed with cotton or polyester, and accounts for a small
percentage of the final fabric, which therefore retains most of the look and
feel of the other fibers. In North America it is rare in men's clothing, but
prevalent in women's. An estimated 80% of clothing sold in the United States
contained spandex in 2010.
Source:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spandexhttp://www.fibersource.com/f-tutor/spandex.htm
Alpaca fiber

The preparing, carding,
spinning, weaving
and finishing process of alpaca is very similar to the process used for wool.
Fiber structure

Medullation
Quality

Dyeing
- Selection of wool, according to color,
size and quality of fiber
- "Escarminado", removal of
grass, dirt, thorns, and other impurities
- Washing, to remove all the dirt and
grease
- Spinning
- Boil 5 liters of water in an aluminum
can with 100 g of cochinilla for an hour.
- Sift and put the fiber in the water.
- Boil again for an hour and add 50 lemons
cut in halves.
- Then take out the wool and hang for
drying.
Woman who makes Alpaca yarn- YouTube video
Uses
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpaca_fiber
International
Alpaca Association <http://www.aia.org.pe/aia.html?32
Pashmina

Pashmina fiber

Items made from Pashmina
Aside from shawls, the pashmina
also comes in a variety of forms such as pashmina stoles, pashmina mufflers,
pashmina scarves, sweaters and blankets, all handwoven by the traditional
weavers of Kathmandu valley. These exquisite products also come in a variety of
sizes, patterns and qualities and all sold at a fairly reasonable price.
End uses of Pashmina
A pashmina is usually worn as a wrap.The colors of pashmina that
are particularly fashionable and in demand according to distributors are shades
of purple, from a pale lilac to a deep violet shade of grape. Some other trends
include pashminas that are dotted with ethnic embroidery and pleats. Many other
women opt for the classic look, and choose all-time favorite colors such as
pink, yellow, white and jet black. Because of its versatility, the pashmina can
also be worn over a jacket or as a muffler around the neck or simply just
draped over the shoulders and the chest. Indeed women of all ages, shape and
sizes, from mothers to Hollywood celebrities, from students to business executives,
all seek the elegance, sheer comfort and practicality of beautifully woven
pashmina.
Sources: Clothing technology; www.pashminainternational.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pashmina_fiber
Conclusion
From a purchasing point of view, it is essential to know about the fibers and fabrics, their properties, advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, dealing with supplier often we will have only description of a garmetn and its materials, so we should be able to know what the description stands for in regards with quality levels and so on. Also, it is essential to know and understand the different terminology and to consider the different peremeters, e.g Yard- Meter and so on. Personally, I liked the idea about making a blog and video, so we can be more creative and expose in different way information and knowledge.
Video- Pilling resistance