Prepared by:

Aryan Shandilya
Roll.no.03
Subject: Chemistry
Submitted to: umesh
pandey
 Acknowledgemet

I Aryan Shandilya have put in efforts to complete

this project, however, it would not have been
possible without the kind support and help of
many individuals. I would like to extend my
sincere thanks to all of them.
Furthermore I would also like to acknowledge
with much appreciation, the crucial role of the
staff of Shree Vasishtha Vidhyalaya, who gave the
permission to use all required equipment and the
necessary materials to complete the task
“investigatory project”. Next, many thanks go to
the head of the project, Mr. Umesh Pandey who
has invested her full effort in guiding me in
achieving the goal. I have to appreciate the
guidance given by supervisor Ms Rashmi Khan as
well as the panels especially in our project
presentation that has improved my presentation
skills, thanks to their comment and advices. Also
I would like to thank my parents and friends who
helped me a lot in finalizing this project within the
limited time frame.
 INDEX
 Introduction
 Theory
 Aim
 Apparatus
 Chemical required
 Procedure
 Observation
 Conclusion
 Precaution
 Bibliography
INTRODUCTION
Fibre is a class of materials that are
continuous filaments or are in discrete
elongated pieces, similar to lengths of
thread. A fiber is an elongated tapering
thick-walled plant cell that imparts
elasticity, flexibility, and tensile strength.
Tensile strength of fibres can be
determined by hanging weights tied to it
and comparing the weight a string can
hold. Traditionally, natural fibers have
been used in all cultures for making
utilitarian products. Different parts of the
plant are used.
Fibers can be extracted from the bark
(banana, jute, hemp, and ramie), stem
(banana, palm, and bamboo), leaf (palm,
screw pine, sisal, agave), husk (coir), seeds
(cotton), and grass (sikki, madhurkati, benakati, munj). Animal
fibers are obtained from a variety of
animal coats, and insect fibers from
cocoons.
Even before the arrival of man-made
fibers, manufacturers could create
hundreds of different kinds of fabrics,
differing mainly by fiber content, weight,
style of weave, or sheen. Here are just a
few from which they were originally made
(nearly all can be made now with other
fibers, either natural or of these historic
fabrics, along with the natural fibr
synthetic).They are very important in the
biology of both plants and animals, for holding
tissues together.
Human uses for fibers are diverse. They can be
spun into filaments, string, or rope, used as a
component of composite

materials, or matted into sheets to make

products such as paper or felt. Fibers are often
used in the manufacture of other materials.
The strongest engineering materials are
generally made as fibers, for example carbon
fiber and Ultra-high-molecular- weight
polyethylene. The history of man-made fibers is
less than a century old; until 1910, there were
no synthetic or chemical fibers. Today, by
mixing different components, manufacturers
can take the basic fibers listed below and make
them more waterproof or more absorbent,
warmer or cooler, thicker or thinner, stiffer or
more supple.
Some, like polyester and spandex, combine
well with natural fibers, making fabrics that
wrinkle less or are more form-fitting.
Synthetic fibers can often be produced very
cheaply and in large amounts compared to
natural fibers, but for clothing natural fibres can
give some
benefits ,such as comfort ,over their synthetic
counterparts.
.
THEORY
Depending upon the source, various fibres can be
categorized as:
1.Animal fibre(e.g., silk and wool)
2.Vegetable fibre(e.g., cotton and linen)
3. Synthetic fibre(e.g., nylon and rayon)

Natural fibres can be classified according to their

origin. The vegetable, or cellulose-base, class
includes such important fibres as cotton, flax,
and jute; the animal, or protein-base, fibres
include wool,mohair, and silk; an important fibre
in the mineral class is asbestos.

The vegetable fibres can be divided into smaller

groups, based on their origin within the plant.
Cotton, kapok, and coir are examples of fibres
originating as hairs borne on the seeds or inner
walls of the fruit, where each fibre consists of a
single, long, narrow cell. Flax, hemp, jute, and
ramie are bast fibres, occurring in the inner bast
tissue of certain plant stems and made up of
overlapping cells. Abaca, henequen, and sisal are
fibres occurring as part of the fibro vascular
system of the leaves.
Chemically, all vegetable fibres consist mainly of
 cellulose,
although they also contain varying amounts of
such substances as hemicellulose, lignin, pectins,
and waxes that must be removed or reduced by
processing. The animal fibres consist exclusively
of proteins and, with the exception of silk,
constitute the furor hair that serves as the
protective epidermal covering of animals. Silk
filaments are extruded by the larvae of moths
and are used to spin their cocoons.

With the exception of mineral fibres, all natural

fibres have an affinity for water in both liquid
and vapour form. This strong affinity produces
swelling of the fibres connected with the uptake
of water, which facilitates dyeing in watery
solutions.

Unlike most synthetic fibres, all natural fibres

are nonthermoplastic—that is, they do not soften
when heat is applied. At temperatures below the
point at which they will decompose, they show
little sensitivity to dry heat, and there is no
shrinkage or high extensibility upon heating, nor
do they [15 become brittle if cooled to below
freezing. Natural fibres tend to
yellow upon exposure to sunlight and moisture,
and extended exposure results in loss of strength.
 All natural fibres are particularly susceptible to
microbial decomposition, including mildew and
rot. Cellulosic fibres are decomposed by aerobic
bacteria (those that live only in oxygen) and
fungi. Cellulose mildews and decomposes rapidly
at high humidity and high temperatures,
especially in the absence of light. Wool and silk
are also subject to microbial decomposition by
bacteria and molds. Animal fibres are also
subject to damage by moths and carpet beetles;
termites and silverfish attack cellulose fibres.
Protection against both microbial damage and
5 | Pa g e

Aim:
The effect of acids and bases on
tensile strength of fibres.

Apparatus
Requirements:-
Cotton, wool, silk, polyester,
hook, weight hanger, weights.
 Chemical
Requirement:-
Hydrochloric acid( M/10) and
sodium hydroxide(M/10).
Procedure:-
1. Cut out equal length of cotton, wool
and silk threads from given samples.
The threads should be nearly the same
thickness.
2. Determine the tensile strength of each
fibre as explained in experiment
1.
3. Soak a given thread into a dilute solution
of sodium hydroxide for about 5 minutes.
4. Take it out of NaOH solution and wash it
thoroughly with water and dry it in sun or
oven at 40°C.
5. Determine again the tensile strength of
woolen thread as explained in experiment 1.
6. Now take another piece of wool thread and
soak it in hydrochloric acid for about 5
minutes. Take it out and wash thoroughly
with water. Dry it and again determine its
tensile strength.
7. Repeat the above procedure for the
sample of cotton and nylon fibres.
Observations:-

SI.N Type of Tensile strength of

O fibre. fibre(N)
Before after soaking
after soaking
Soaking. in NaOH.
HCL.
1. Cotton 75 50
2. Wool 700 750
3. Nylon 375 375
CONCLUSION:-

1. Alkalies decrease the tensile strength of

woolen fibers.
2. Acids practically do not affect this fiber.
3. Tensile strength of cotton thread is
decreased by acids and it remains
unaffected by alkalis.
4. Nylon fiber is practically unaffected by
both acids and alkalies.
PRECAUTIONS:-

1. Thread must be of identical

diameters.
2. Always take the same length of
threads.
3. Add the weights in small amount
very slowly.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
 Comprehensive practical
chemistry-XI
 Wikipedia
 Encyclopedia - Britannica
Online
Encyclopedia
 www.textileschool.com
 www.meritnation.com.
 http://cp.literature.agilent.com/l

itweb/ pdf/