Properties of major Textile Fibers and Fabrics

Natural Manmade Cellulosic Manmade Non-Cellulosic

Viscose/
Properties Cotton Flax Wool Silk Acetate Rayon Acrylic Nylon Polyester Spandex
Abrasion Good Fair Fair Fair Poor Fair Fair Exce- Good Good
Resistance llent
Absorbancy 8.5% 12% 13.5% 11% 6.5% 11% 1.5% 2.8%- 0.4% 15%
4.8%
Flexibility Fair Poor Good Exce- Exce- Good Good Good Fair Good
llent llent
Elasticity @70F, 65% R.H.
% Elongation at 3.0- 3 20-40 20 25-45 15-30 35-45 16-75 19-55 400-
Break 10 700
% Recovery 75 65 99 90 48-65 95 92 82-100 81 99
Environment
Mildew Poor Fair Good Good Exce- Fair Exce- Exce- Exce- Exce
Resistance llent llent llent llent -
llent
Renovation W/DC W/DC DC W/DC DC W/DC W/DC W/DC W/DC W/D
(Wash/DryClean C
)
sAFE iRONING 400 450 300 300 325 350 300 350 325 300
lIMIT (r;F)
Sunlight Fair Good Good Poor Good Fair Exce- Poor Good Fair
Resistance llent
Handfeel Good Fair Fair- Exce- Exce- Good Good Fair Fair Poor
Exce- llent llent
llent
Pilling Good Good Fair Good Good Good Fair Poor Very Exce
Resitance Poor -
llent
Resiliency Poor Poor Good Fair Fair Poor Good Good Exce- Exce
llent -
llent
Specific Gravity 1.54 1.52 1.32 1.3 1.32 1.48- 1.14- 1.14 1.38 1.21
1.54 1.19
Static Good Good Fair Fair Fair Good Poor Poor Vary Exce
Resistance Poor -
llent
Dry Strength 3.0- 3.5-6.0 0.8-2.0 2.4-5.1 1.2-1.5 1.2-3.0 2.0-3.5 2.5-7.3 3.0-6.0 0.07-
5.0 1.0
Good Exce- Poor Good Poor Poor- Fair Exce- Exce- Very
llent Good llent llent Poor
Strength Loss +10 +10% 20% 15% 30% 30%- 20% 10% 0 0
when Wet % 50%
 Natural Manmade Cellulosic Manmade Non-Cellulosic
Viscose/
Properties Cotton Flax Wool Silk Acetate Rayon Acrylic Nylon Polyester Spandex
Thermoplastic No No No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes

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