GENERIC NAMES FOR MAN-MADE FIBRES

Generic Name	Chemical Constitution	Example Trade Names
Acetate	Secondary cellulose acetate	Dicel
Acrylic	At least 85% by mass of acrylonitrile	Acrilan, Dralon, Courtelle, Orlon
Alginate	Metallic salts of alginic acid	Calcium alginate
Aramid	Composed of linear macromolecules ofaromatic groups joined by amide or imide likages	Nomex, Conex, Kevlar, Technora, Twaron
Chlorofibre	At least 50% by mass of poly(vinyl chloride) or poly(vinylidene chloride)	Rhovyl, Leavil, Saran
Cupro	Regenerated cellulose produced by the cuprammonium process	Cuprama
Elastane	At least 85% by mass of polyurethane elastomer	Enkaswing, Lycra, Spanzelle
Elastodiene	Composed of natural or synthetic polyisoprene, or composed of dienes polymerised with one or more vinyl monomers
Elastomultiester	Formed by interaction of two or more chemically distinct linear macro-molecules in two or more distinct phases (of which none exceeds 85% by mass) which contains ester groups as dominant functional unit
Fluorofibre	Polymer made from fluorocarbon monomer	Polifen, Teflon
Glass	Mixed silicates	Fibreglass, Marglass
Lyocell	Regenerated Cellulose , obtained by dissolution, and an organic solvent spinning process
Modacrylic	Polymer made from 50-85% by mass of acrylonitrile	Dynel, Teklan
Modal	Regenrated Cellulose made by a high wet-modulus process	Vincel
Nylon (Polyamide)	Polymer with the recurring functional group -CO-NH-	ICI Nylon, Enkalon, Perlon, Celon
Polycarbamide	Polymer with recurring functional group -NH-CO-NH-
Polyester	At least 85% by mass of an ester of a diol and terephthalic acid	Terylene, Dacron, Trevira
Polyethylene	Polyethylene polymer	Courlene, Drylene
Polylactide	Formed from synthetic linear macromolecules having in the chain recurring imide units	Natureworks PLA
Polypropylene	Polyethylene where one carbon in two carries a methyl side chain	Fibrite, Meraklon
Polyurethane	Polymer with the recurring functional group -O-CO-NH-
Triacetate	Cellulose with at least 92% by mass of hydroxyl groups acetylated	Tricel, Arnel
Trivinyl	Vinyl terpolymer of which no single component forms more than 50% by mass
Vinylal	Formed of linear macromolecules whose chain is constituted by Polyvinylalcohol with differing levels of acetilisation	Kuralon, Vinylon
Viscose	Regenerated cellulose obtained by the viscose process	Fibro, Sarille, Evlan

HIGH PERFORMANCE FIBRES

Fibres	Trade Names
Aramid	Nomex, Conex, Kevlar, Technora, Twaron
Ceramic	Nextel
Glass	E-Glass, S-Glass, Miraflex, Cardable Glass
HDPE (High Density Polyethylene)	Spectra, Dyneema
Melamine	Basofil
Phenolic (Novaloid)	Kynol, Philene
PBI (Polybenzimidazole)	PBI
PBO (Polyphenylenebenzobsoxasole)	Zylon
Polyamide Imide	Kermel
Polyimide	P84
PPS (Polyphenylene-Sulphide)	Ryton, procon
Polyetherether Ketone	PEEK
Polyarylate (Liquid Crystal Fibre)	Vectran
Polyacrylate	Inidex
PTFE (Fluorocarbon)	Teflon
PAN/Carbon (Preoxidized Polyacrylonitrile Fibre)	Panox, Fortafil, Hexcel, Panotex, Tenax, Torayca

FIBRE MOISTURE REGAIN VALUES

Fibre	Regain
Abaca	14.0%
Acetate	9.0%
Acrylic	2.0%
Alginate	20.0%
Aramid	6.0%
Asbestos	2.0%
Coir	13.0%
Cotton	8.5%
Mercerised Cotton	10.5%
Cupro	13.0%
Elastane	1.5%
Elastodiene	1.0%
Elastomultiester	1.5%
Fluorofibre	0.0%
Glass Fibre	2.0%
Glass Fibre (over 5 um)	3.0%
Hemp	12.0%
Jute	17.0%
Linen	12.0%
Metal	2.0%
Metalized Fibre	2.0%
Modacrylic	2.0%
Modal	13.0%
Nylon	6.25%
Nylon 11	3.5%
Nylon Filament	5.75%
Polyester	1.5%
Polyethylene	1.5%
Polylactide	1.5%
Polypropylene	2.0%
Polyurethane	3.5%
Protein	17.0%
Polyvinylchloride	2.0%
Ramie	8.5%
Silk	11.0%
Sisal	14.0%
Sunn	12.0%
Triacetate	7.0%
Vinylal	5.0%
Viscose	13.0%
Wool Carded	17.0%
Wool Combed	18.25%

MELTING POINTS OF FIBRES

Fibre	Melting Point (centigrade)
Acetate:
Diacetate	250-255
Triacetate	290-300
Acrylic	Do not melt (decompose with discolouration)
Aramid	Do not melt
Chlorofibre:
Clevyl T	185-190
Isovyl	210-212
Leavil	Do not melt (decompose with discolouration)
Fluorofibres:
Teflon FEP	285
Teflon TFE	Does not melt (decomposes slowly)
Modacrylic:
Dynel 180	190
Others	Do not melt (decompose with discolouration)
Nylon:
Nylon 11	182-186
Nylon 6	210-216
Nylon 66	252-260
Polyester:
Kodel II	290
Others	250-260
Polyolefin:
Ulstron	165-175
Courlene	108-113
Courlene X3	135
Vinylal:
Mewlon	232

 

FIBRE DENSITIES

FIBRE	Density (g/cc)	FIBRE	Density (g/cc)
Acetate:		Polyolefin:
Diacetetate (Dicel)	1.33	Polypropylene (Ulstron)	0.90
Triacetate (Tricel)	1.30	Polyethlene, low-density (Courlene)	0.92
Acrylic:		Polyethylene, high-density (Courlene X3)	0.95
Orlon	1.14-1.17	Polurethane Elastomers:
Courtelle	1.14-1.18	Lycra, Sarlene, Spanzelle, Enkaswing	1.1
Zefran	1.15	Regenerated Protein Fibre:
Acrilan	1.17	Merinova	1.29
Alginate:		Vinylal:
Calcium Alginate	1.72	Kuralon	1.30
Chlorofibre:		Viscose	1.51-1.52
Heat-Treated PVC (Isovyl)	1.38
Unmodified PVC (Rhovyl, Fibravyl)	1.40	Rabbit:
Chlorinated PVC (Piviacid)	1.70	Common	0.92
Cupro:		Angora	1.10
Cuprammonium Rayon	1.52
Fluorofibre:		Wool:
Teflon	2.30	Non-medullated	1.31
Glass:		Silk:
E-glass	2.53	B. Mori, raw	1.33
C-glass	2.46	Weighted	>1.60
A-glass	2.46	Tussah	1.32
S-glass	2.45	Cotton:
Modacrylic:		Scoured	1.55
Dynel	1.31	Mercerized	1.54
Teklan	1.34	Acetylated	1.40-1.50
Verel	1.37	Flax	1.50
Nylon:
Nylon 11 (Rislan)	1.10	Hemp	1.50
Nylon 6 (Perlon)	1.13
Nylon 6.6 (ICI Nylon)	1.14	Jute	1.50
Nomex	1.38
Polyester:		Ramie	1.55
Kodel	1.22
Terylene	1.38	Asbestos	2.10-2.80

DIMENSIONS OF ANIMAL FIBRES

FIBRE	Approximate Length (mm)	Approximate Fibre Diameter (um)
		Range	Mean(or Range of Means)
Wool:
Merinos	35-90		18-27
Fine Crossbreds	50-100		28-31
Medium Crossbreds	100-200		32-39
Coarse Crossbreds	up to 300		40-44
Mohair:
Kid	100-150		25-26
Adult	up to 250		30-55
Cashmere:
Undercoat(Down)	25-75		13-16
Outercoat(Chinese)	75-100	38-142	79
Outercoat(Persian)	75-100	42-160	86
Camel Hair:
Undercoat	25-125	5-40	20
Outercoat	up to 375	up to 120
Llama:
Alpaca	100-300	10-75	26-27
Llama	250-300	1-150	28-30
Vicuna	35-75	6-35	13-14
Horse Hair:
Tail		113-233	149-183
Mane		73-173	121-129
Cow Hair:
Tail		up to 200
Body	12-50	12-180	36

WOOL QUALITY

Grade	Microns
Finer than 80s	Under 17.70
80s	17.70 to 19.14
70s	19.15 to 20.59
64s	20.60 to 22.04
62s	22.05 to 23.49
60s	23.50 to 24.94
58s	24.59 to 26.39
56s	26.40 to 27.84
48s	31.00 to 32.69
46s	32.70 to 34.39
44s	34.40 to 36.19
40s	36.20 to 38.09
36s	38.10 to 40.20

STATISTICAL TERMS

Average (or mean)
The average (or mean) is often the best single statistic to charecterise a set of results. It is the sum of the individual results divided by the number of results.

Median
The median is the middle one of a set of results arranged in decending order; if an even number of results, the median is midway between the central two in order.

Standard Deviation
Individual results are scattered around the average. The standard deviation is an agreed way of expressing the degree of scatter. To obtain it, work out the difference between each test result and the average, square the differences, total them, divide the total by one less than the number of results, and take the square root.

Coefficient of Variation
The coefficient of variation is the standard deviation expressed as a percentage of the average.

Percentage Mean Deviation
In a few cases, e.g. yarn levelness (U%), the percentage mean deviation is used to express the degree of scatter of results round the average instead of the coefficient of variation. To convert percentage mean deviation to coefficient of variation for practical purposes, multiply by 1.25.

Confidence Limits
When the average has been calculated from test results, it is still only representative of a small amount of the total material in the bulk. Confidence limits express tha maximum amount the test average is likely to deviate from that of the bulk. Useful confidence limits can be obtained by dividing the standard deviation by the square root of the number of tests and multiplying by 2.