Characteristics and properties of major garment fabrics (cashmere, wool, silk, cotton, ramie, polyester, polyamide, vinylon, acrylic, acetate, viscose, polypropylene and polychloroprene).
The following is a detailed description of the properties of each of these apparel fabrics:
Cashmere
- Characteristics: fine and soft fibers, scales are ring-shaped, soft luster, natural curl less, small holding force between the fibers.
- Advantages: excellent warmth, smooth feel, light and comfortable, moisture absorption, breathable, extremely comfortable to wear, elegant style.
- Disadvantages: expensive, easy to pilling, relatively weak wearability, high care requirements, need to dry clean or gentle hand washing, low fiber strength.
- Preciousness: very precious, production is rare, is a high-grade textile raw materials.
- Static electricity: small, but in the dry environment may produce some static electricity.
- Moisture return: 15% – 17%, good moisture absorption, can keep the skin dry.
- Abrasion resistance: average, not as good as some synthetic fibers.
- Dimensional Stability: May shrink to some degree after washing if not cared for properly.
- Tensile strength: Relatively low.
- Yarn Density: Can be processed into high count products. Density varies according to the type of fabric. Generally, higher quality products have finer yarns and greater density.
Wool
- Characteristics: natural curls, good elasticity, difference in thickness, thicker scale layer.
- Advantages: good warmth, excellent elasticity, better moisture absorption, can be adapted to a variety of clothing styles, rich texture.
- Disadvantages: easy to shrink, pilling, felting phenomenon, moisture has a strange smell, if not properly washed easy to deformation.
- Preciousness: depending on the quality of wool, high-quality wool (such as merino wool) is more precious, ordinary wool price is moderate.
- Static electricity: There is a certain amount of static electricity, especially in the dry environment.
- Moisture retention: 13% – 16%.
- Abrasion resistance: Medium, with variations in abrasion resistance between different varieties of wool.
- Dimensional Stability: Shrinkage is a problem, care needs to be taken with washing conditions.
- Tensile strength: Good, but varies between wool types.
- Yarn Density: Various variations are available depending on product requirements, with high quality wool products having finer yarns and suitable density.
Silk
- Characteristics: Reeled from cocoons, the fibers are thin, smooth and pearly, with a triangular cross-section.
- Advantages: comfortable to wear, soft to the touch, moisture absorption, health effects on the skin, can be processed into high-grade, gorgeous fabrics.
- Disadvantages: poor light resistance, easy to yellow, brittle, lower strength, high care requirements, need to wash gently, higher price.
- Preciousness: higher, especially mulberry silk and other high-quality silk, the production process is complex.
- Static electricity: relatively small.
- Moisture return rate: about 11%.
- Abrasion resistance: poor, easy to wear hair.
- Dimensional stability: better under normal use and care, but avoid prolonged exposure to the sun and excessive stretching.
- Tensile Strength: Weak, especially in the wet state, the strength decreases significantly.
- Yarn density: can be made into high-count, high-density fabrics, commonly used in high-grade silk products.
Cotton
- Characteristics: Fibers are flat and ribbon-shaped, with natural curvature and uneven thickness.
- Advantages: strong moisture absorption, good dyeing performance, comfortable to wear, relatively low price, wide range of sources, good skin friendliness. Disadvantages: less elastic, easy to wrinkle.
- Disadvantages: poor elasticity, easy to wrinkle, large shrinkage rate, lack of firmness.
- Preciousness: ordinary cotton prices are more affordable, some special varieties of cotton (such as long-staple cotton) higher value.
- Static electricity: general static electricity is not obvious.
- Moisture return rate: about 8.5%.
- Abrasion resistance: general, commonly used in daily wear clothing, wear and tear is more obvious.
- Dimensional stability: Shrinks easily after washing, needs to be improved by measures such as pre-shrinkage treatment.
- Tensile strength: Medium, but wet strength is higher than dry strength.
- Yarn Density: Various specifications are available, from coarse to fine, and the density depends on the use of the fabric.
Ramie
- Characteristics: Long, thin and tough fibers, glossy, irregular stripes, rough handfeel, cool feeling. Advantages: Breathable, absorbent.
- Advantages: Breathable, moisture-absorbent, dissipates heat quickly, stiff, anti-bacterial, and has a unique texture. Disadvantages: Rough hand, easily damaged.
- Disadvantages: rough feel, easy to wrinkle, poor elasticity, itchy feeling when worn close to the body, poor comfort.
- Preciousness: general, but high quality Ramie products have a certain value.
- Static electricity: Static electricity is not serious.
- Moisture return rate: about 12%.
- Abrasion resistance: good, tough fiber.
- Dimensional Stability: Some shrinkage, may require ironing after washing.
- Tensile strength: high, good fiber strength.
- Yarn Density: can be adjusted according to the need, generally Ramie fabric density is moderate.
Polyester
- Characteristics: chemical fiber, tight molecular arrangement, fiber stiff, smooth.
- Advantages: stiff and wrinkle-resistant, high strength, good abrasion resistance, easy to wash and fast drying, no deformation, inexpensive, good color fastness.
- Disadvantages: poor moisture absorption, poor permeability, wearing a stuffy feeling, easy to produce static electricity, pilling, feel hard.
- Preciousness: more common, is the mass production of chemical fiber raw materials.
- Static electricity: static electricity is big.
- Moisture return rate: 0.4% – 0.5%.
- Abrasion resistance: excellent, one of its significant advantages.
- Dimensional stability: good, little dimensional change during washing and wearing.
- Tensile strength: high, can withstand large tensile forces.
- Yarn Density: Various combinations of yarn counts and densities are possible for different types of textiles.
Nylon
- Characteristics: Good abrasion resistance, high strength, elasticity, smooth fiber surface.
- Advantages: Abrasion resistance tops natural and chemical fibers, better moisture absorption, elastic recovery ability, can be used for functional clothing.
- Disadvantages: poor light resistance, yellowing in the sun for a long time, loss of strength, low initial modulus and easy to deform, slippery feel.
- Preciousness: ordinary, relatively low cost.
- Static electricity: there is static electricity.
- Moisture return rate: 3.5% – 5%.
- Abrasion resistance: excellent, commonly used where abrasion resistance is required.
- Dimensional Stability: Some resilience after stretching, but may deform under prolonged stress.
- Tensile strength: very high, ensuring the durability of the fabric.
- Yarn Density: There are different choices according to product requirements, and can be used in a variety of fabric structures.
Vinylon
- Characteristics: Synthetic fiber, close in nature to cotton, with a skin-core structure.
- Advantages: better moisture absorption, higher strength, good chemical stability, corrosion resistance, moderate price.
- Disadvantages: less elastic, poor dyeing, easy to wrinkle the fabric, appearance and feel is not as good as natural fibers.
- Preciousness: general, not a high-grade fiber.
- Static electricity: There is some static electricity.
- Moisture return rate: 4.5% – 5%.
- Abrasion resistance: medium.
- Dimensional stability: good, but may change somewhat during washing.
- Tensile strength: High.
- Yarn Density: Can be used in a wide range of yarn densities.
Acrylic
- Characteristics: Similar to wool in appearance and feel, fluffy and curly, lightweight.
- Advantages: stiff and wrinkle-resistant, good warmth, light and corrosion resistance, relatively low price.
- Disadvantages: moisture absorption, wear resistance, poor comfort, static electricity, easy to pilling, lack of natural fiber texture.
- Preciousness: ordinary, moderate price.
- Static electricity: static electricity is obvious.
- Moisture return: 1.2% – 2%.
- Abrasion resistance: poor.
- Dimensional stability: better, not easy to deform.
- Tensile strength: Medium.
- Yarn density: can be made into a variety of density fabrics, commonly used in imitation wool products.
Acetic acid
- Characteristics: Silk-like luster, soft and smooth handfeel, good drape.
- Advantages: bright coloring, gorgeous appearance, good moisture absorption, easy processing, commonly used in high-grade clothing accessories.
- Disadvantages: low strength, not resistant to washing, high price, limited durability.
- Preciousness: medium high.
- Static electricity: less.
- Moisture return: 6% – 7%.
- Abrasion resistance: poor, requires careful care.
- Dimensional stability: good under normal use, but should not be soaked for long periods of time or scrubbed vigorously.
- Tensile strength: low.
- Yarn Density: Mostly higher density to reflect its texture.
Viscose(rayon)
- Characteristics: Man-made fiber with a skin-core structure, similar to natural fibers in appearance and feel.
- Advantages: moisture absorption, good dyeing, cool and comfortable, affordable, available in a variety of fiber forms.
- Disadvantages: easy to shrink under water, low wet strength, not resistant to washing, poor elasticity, easy to deform.
- Preciousness: general, used in a large number of low-end and middle-end garments.
- Static electricity: small.
- Moisture return rate: 13% – 15%.
- Abrasion resistance: poor, fibers easily damaged.
- Dimensional stability: poor, significant size change after washing.
- Tensile strength: low, even lower in wet state.
- Yarn Density: Can be made into fabrics of different densities as required.
Polypropylene
- Characteristics: low density, light, high strength, smooth surface.
- Advantages: good abrasion and corrosion resistance, inexpensive, can be used for industrial fabrics, good chemical resistance. Disadvantages: moisture absorption is almost zero.
- Disadvantages: almost zero moisture absorption, static electricity, poor comfort, not easy to dye, lack of aesthetic appearance.
- Preciousness: ordinary, commonly used in industry or low-end civil.
- Static electricity: static electricity is serious.
- Moisture return rate: 0%.
- Abrasion resistance: good.
- Dimensional stability: good, largely unaffected by moisture.
- Tensile strength: High.
- Yarn Density: Can be used to make a wide range of structured fabrics, often used for functional products.
Chloroplastic
- Characteristics: Refractory, warmth retaining, peculiar odor.
- Advantages: High chemical resistance, good warmth, flame retardant, can be used for special protective clothing, low cost.
- Disadvantages: poor heat resistance, begins to shrink at about 70°C, poor moisture absorption, static electricity, poor comfort.
- Preciousness: general, narrow application areas.
- Static electricity: static electricity is obvious.
- Moisture return rate: 0%.
- Abrasion resistance: medium.
- Dimensional stability: good at room temperature, but easily deformed by heat.
- Tensile strength: medium.
- Yarn Density: Suitable yarn density can be selected according to protection and other applications.
