Some Amazing Types of Textiles

A textile or a cloth is a flexible, woven material made out of yarn. The yarn is obtained by various natural or artificial sources. The natural fibers are spun together to form long threads. These threads are woven, knitted, knotted or pressed together to form textiles or fabrics. They are woven on machines called looms. These looms can be automatically or manually operated, called handlooms. Textiles can be made from various materials. These materials come from four major sources, namely, plants, animals, minerals and synthetic materials. It is used to make diverse textile products.

Plants and animals constitute the natural sources of fabrics. The plant sources include paper, linen, jute, coir, rayon, cotton, bamboo and modal. Some of these are produced from plants and mainly used to make sheets and ropes. Coir, which is coconut fiber, is used in making twine, sacks, door mats, mattresses, floor mats and brushes etc. Paper is made from fibers from pulpwood trees, cotton and rice etc.

The textiles are also made from products obtained from animals. They are made from fur, hair, skin and silk (cocoon from silkworm). The various varieties include alpaca, Angora wool, mohair, silk, wool, cashmere etc. The fine hair is cut and processed in automated machines to clean and separate them from any type of impurity that they might contain. They are, then, spun into long threads of yarn called wool. The yarn is further dyed into various desired colors. These colorful yarns are made into fabrics, and further, stitched into the cloth of your choice. Wool is used for warm clothing. Textile products made from wool include sweaters, cardigans, jackets, coats and blankets. Silk is a type of animal fabric obtained from the cocoon of the silkworm. It is spun into a smooth fabric valued for its luster and softness.

The artificial sources of fabric are minerals and synthetic materials. These are obtained from man-made products. Such sources are highly processed and treated to make them flexible and usable. The examples of synthetic materials are asbestos, faux leather, glass fiber, acrylic fiber, spandex, nylon, Olefin, polyester and metal fiber such as gold wire or silver foil. The mineral asbestos is used to make sheeting, vinyl tiles, false ceilings, curtains and fire blankets. Another mineral, glass fiber, is used to make ropes and cables, ironing boards, sound proof, fire proof, insulating fibers, and mattress covers. One of the most important uses of glass fiber is in making spacesuits. Metal fibers, metal wire and metal foil have uses in jewelry, cloth and embroidery.

The major use of synthetic fibers is to make clothing. These are used as such or blended with other fibers like cotton to make stronger and varied textile products such as active wear, outdoor clothing, fire resistant clothes, linings and warm clothing. Because of their water- proof qualities, these have also been used to make rain coats, water resistant cloth, swimsuits, and stain proof clothes, sheets, and mats. So, we see that there are a variety of fabrics available and can be used to make different types of textile products according to their characteristics and our requirements.

There was a need to have a lighter fabric which possesses all the qualities and can be durable. An army duck canvas fabric is a good example of it which used in army specifications.