What do you know about textile fibers?

The burn test

The burn test is just what it sounds like, take that fabric and burn it. First, separate out a few fibers, then set them on fire. The way the fabric burns, and smells will tell you a lot about where it came from.Plant-based textile fibers when burned will smell like burning leaves in the fall, and the fibers will turn to ash like what you find in a campfire.Rayon, Tencel, and Lyocell are tricky. Because they are plant-based cellulosic synthetic fibers. When we burn them, they will burn like cotton and smell like burning leaves. So, we need more information to differentiate them. As a second test, you can look at fiber length. Synthetic textile fibers are generally very, very long, sometimes they are the full length of the fabric. Natural plant based fibers tend to be short, only an inch or two at most in length. If the synthetic fibers were cut into staple length then you will need to rely on a lab to do chemical testing.Animal fibers, including silk, will smell like burning hair.Petroleum-based synthetic fibers, like polyester, will melt when burned, and turn into hard balls of plastic.

Fiber Glossary

Before we dive into basically every single type of fiber and the pros and cons of using them, here a few textile jargon terms that will make talking about textile fibers a little easier.

Common fiber in textile terms explained

Stretch
Fibers and fabrics with high absorbency tend to stretch out a lot when they become wet. This is why we do not make swimwear out of cotton.
Stain Removal
Fibers and fabrics that have high absorbency are easier to clean because it is easier for soap and water to get in and do their jobs. That is part of the reason why polyester workout clothes start to stink, soap and water don’t work as well when they can absorb into the fiber.
Wrinkle Recovery
Wrinkles in clothing after laundering are partially from high moisture absorbency. What happens is that during the laundering process the fibers take in a lot of water and swell up. Then when the clothes dry the fibers shrink back down creating wrinkles in the fabric. For this reason, fabrics made out of textile fibers like polyester, which does not absorb water well, (you can wash and dry, and never have wrinkles) are wash and wear, and easy care.

Cover

Cover is another term for bulk. Textile fibers with good cover have a lot of crimp. They take up a lot of space for their weight. Again, wool is an example of a fiber with good cover.

Crimp

Crimp is exactly like what you think of when your picture 80’s crimped hair. It is the bends, twists, and kinks along a fiber. Fibers with more crimp tend to be warmer, have increased absorbency, and feel nice and cozy on the skin. Crimp is natural in animal fibers like wool and is also possible to engineer into synthetics. Engineering crimp requires the process of heat setting. Crimp, can also be added to the yarn by texturing.