Textile

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For other uses, see Textile (disambiguation).

A textile is any type of material made from fibers or other extended linear materials such as thread or yarn (1). Classes of textiles include woven, crocheted, knitted, knotted (as in macrame) or tufted cloth, and non-woven fabrics such as felt. Materials made from fibers such as fiberglass, carbon fiber, and ceramic fiber which are infiltrated by a matrix of another material are considered fiber-reinforced composite materials.

The production of textiles is an ancient craft, whose speed and scale of production has been altered almost beyond recognition by mass-production and the introduction of modern manufacturing techniques. However, a Roman weaver would have no problem recognizing modern plain weave, twill or satin.

Many textiles have been in use for millennia, while others use artificial fibers and are recent inventions. The range of fibers has increased in the last 100 years. The first synthetics were made in the 1920s and 1930s.

1 Sources and types
2 Production methods
3 Processes
4 Uses
5 See also
6 External links
7 References

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Sources and types

Textiles can be made from a variety of materials. The following is a partial list of the materials that can be used to make textiles.

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Animal origin

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Vegetable

Bark cloth has various uses, and is used in sheets.
Bamboo fibre from bamboo.
Coir: the fibre from coconuts.
Cotton
Grass, rush and straw
Hemp (mostly used in rope making)
Jute
Kapok
Linen, made from flax
Nettle: processed in a similar manner to flax.
Ramie
Seaweed: a water soluble fibre (alginate) is produced. This is used as a holding fibre in the production of certain textiles: when the cloth is finished the alginate is dissolved, leaving an open area.
Sisal

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Derived from plant products

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Mineral

Asbestos
Glass fibres can be used in the manufacture of textiles for insulation and other purposes.
Metal fibre, metal wire and metal foil have some uses in textiles, either on their own or with other materials (see, for example, goldwork embroidery).

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Synthetic

Acrylic fibre
Lurex
Spandex, tactel, lycra and other 'stretch' fabrics
Nylon fibre
Polyester fibre
Polypropylene (comes under various common trade names such as Olefin or Herculon)

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Production methods

Braiding/Plaiting
Crochet – usually by hand.
Felt – fibres are matted together to produce a cloth.
Knitting – by hand or on knitting machines (see stocking frame).
Knotting, including macrame: used in making nets.
Lace – again both hand made and machine made.
Pile fabrics – carpets and some rugs
Velvet, velveteen, plush fabrics and similar have a secondary set of yarns which provide a pile.
Weaving – the cloth is prepared on a loom, of which there are a number of types. Some weaving is still done by hand, but the vast majority is mechanised.

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Processes

Carding
Bleaching – where the natural or original colour of the textile is removed by chemicals or exposure to sunlight.
Dyeing – adding colour to textiles: there is a vast range of dyes, natural and synthetic, some of which require mordants.
Textile printing
Embroidery – threads which are added to the surface of a finished textile for ornamentation.
Starching
Waterproofing and other finishings.