Synthetic and natural fibers are the most essential part in clothes manufacturing. They make up the clothing we wear everyday. Fibers are made up of polymers, which are an arrangement of large molecules that are then made up of groups of even smaller molecules that are linked together to form a large chain structure. The smaller molecules are called monomers, and when they join together larger molecules are produced, making macromolecules (Bailey). Synthetic fibers are made up of polymers giving them more unique abilities while still being an affordable alternative to natural fabrics. However, natural fabrics are more luxurious than synthetic. There are many other characteristics that each fiber has, both positive and negative. Which fiber is has the most advantages, synthetic or natural fibers?
Synthetic fibers are man-made from chemical processes or altered natural fibers. They most often start out as a chemical made from coal, oil or natural gas. The compound is then ran through a device with small holes in it called a spinneret. (Troøyen, Fabrics for Dummies: Synthetic Fibers). The solution then evaporates and creates the fiber. Nylon was the world’s first synthetic fiber that was created from only chemicals. It had many advantages such as being durable and lightweight, much better than natural fibers and a substitute for wool (1910s Synthetic Textile Fibers ) . “Nylon was made after several years of research at the DuPont company. Inside, it was simply called fibre 66, but they wanted a trade name. The first suggestion was Duparooh, short for 'DuPont pulls a rabbit out of hat'! But after 400 names were suggested, nylon was finally chosen” (How Are Synthetic Fibers Made?). The first company to produce synthetic fabrics...
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...rkers and the environment. The fabrics do not decay like natural fibres so they create waste and are not good to put in landfills. Synthetic fibres don't allow for much air to pass through so this makes it may cause some discomfort when wearing it (Troøyen, Fabrics for Dummies: Synthetic Fibers).
In conclusion, natural and synthetic fibers both have advantages and disadvantages, however synthetic fabrics tend to be more energy efficient and less costly. Synthetic fabrics haven’t been around for too long, the first completely man-made fiber, Nylon, was only created in the 1930’s. Although they haven’t been around for more than 100 years, synthetics already have more advantages than natural fibers which we have been using for years. There are still things to be discovered about synthetic fibers that can cause them to become even more similar to natural fibers.
Synthetic foods have the ability to change the workforce, restructure our culture toward more productivity, and increase American quality of life. By supporting synthetic foods, we are supporting the future.
STRUCTURE Kevlar Aramid Fiber is a synthetic (man-made) material known as Polymer. A polymer is a chain that is made up of many similar molecular groups, better known as ‘monomers’ that are bonded together. The ‘Monomers’ are made up of fourteen Carbon atoms, two Nitrogen atoms, two Oxygen atoms and ten Hydrogen atoms. A single Kevlar polymer chain could possibly have anywhere from one to five million monomers bonded together. A group of polymer chains can be organised together in a fiber.
Forensic analysis of dyed textile fibers. Anal Bioanal Chem. 2009Aug; 394(8):2009-18. Epub 2009 Jun 20.
The strengths of the book come from its’ accessibility. The book is easy to follow and provides readers with a great deal of information about the production of mass-manufactured clothing. As well as brings awareness to its’ many issues which we inadvertently take part in when we purchase such products. The book is well written and thoroughly researched but does have its’ share of weaknesses.
Weaving is a common thread among cultures around the world. Weaving is a way of producing cloth or textile. Today we have machines that weave large-scale textiles at cheap prices. Production of cloth by hand is rarely engaged in today’s Westernized societies. Not many people are thinking about how the fibers are actually constructed to make their clothes. However, in other cultures across the world the tradition of weaving still exists. By comparing three cultures that continue weaving as a part of their tradition we can see similarities and the differences between them. The reasons that each culture still weaves vary, as do the methods and materials. The desired characteristics of the cloth also vary around the world as each culture values different aesthetics.
Many, many things that we wear, sleep on, sleep under, walk on, or utilize in wound-care, etc., contain some percentage of cotton. It is a fiber that is used everyday, by everyone, in one way or another. It has qualities that have made it a choice crop for centuries around the world. Today though, cotton is being largely displaced by synthetic fibers that have qualities that exceed the natural crop plant. These fibers can also be mass-produced and sold at relatively lower costs.
The textile manufacturing industry is one of the biggest industries in the world that is currently worth nearly three thousand trillion dollars. The industry is constantly growing with the wants from consumers around the world. In order to meet and satisfy these wants from customer, “Development in the textile and clothing industry has focused on technological and cost aspects. Emphasis has been placed on keeping the price of the final product low and increasing efficiency in production.” (Niinimaki & Hassi, 2010, p. 1876) At the same time, with this expansion of the textile manufacturing industry and its consumption, pollution, climate change, fossil fuel and raw material depletion, and water pollution and shortage are constantly occurring
The great reception towards blue jeans is owing to their extremely sturdy and long lasting material. This is because the indigo warp was heavily sized with starch, and the denim fabrics were woven into a very tight structure. On the other hand, this made blu...
Claudio, Luz. "Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry." Environmental Health Perspectives 115.9 (2007): A453-A454. Jstor. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.
U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, The U.S. Textile and Apparel Industry: A Revolution in Progress–Special Report, OTA-TET-332 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, April 1987). <http://www.wws.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/byteserv.prl/~ota/disk2/1987/8733/873306.PDF>
In conclusion, the research has realized that sustainable fashion is among the developing project perspective and movement of sustainability. The project has the main goal of establishing an arrangement, which can be continued for the foreseeable future in terms of conservationism and social liability. It was noted that all the products made are developed with much consideration to the environmental and social influence all through its overall lifetime encompassing its carbon imprint. The research went further in discussing some components of sustainable fashion including fibre, which includes the employment of ecologically friendly resources such as bamboo, organic carbon as well as hemp. Accordingly, some benefits were provided to show how vital sustainable fashion is to the producer, consumer, and to the environment. However, despite all these, there are some challenges that
...can also cause a negative impact on the environment. The manufacturing of synthetic-based health products may release chemicals in the air and water, which can cause pollution and damage to the surroundings. On the other hand, natural health products are farmed and manufactured organically, so you can be sure that these products do not contribute to air and water pollution.
That can lead to the water stress and pollution. Cotton is one of the common natural fibers and it is also a thirsty crop, to produce one cotton shirt it takes 2,700 liters of water which is enough amount of water for one person to drink 2 ½ years (3p Contributor., 2015). The chemical wastages from chemical dye and bleaches that produce from the factory, and carbon footprint such as polyester production which can lead to climate change. Given that amount of water wastage, I feel that people should opt for sustainable fashion clothes. Most people may be hesitant to try something so novel, so green. Therefore, I feel the fashion house should educate the public about the many benefits of sustainable fashion
From 2005 the textile segment has been made up of 2 companies, transforming raw materials into fabrics, from spinning to finishing and ennobling. Handicraft product quality and technological research development characterize this business segment which works with internationally recognized names of the apparel and fashion industry.