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Yarn and fabric technology

Opening, cleaning, carding, combing (for fine yarns), drawing, roving and spinning (ring and open-end spinning). Twist (S or Z) and twist level affect strength, handle and lustre. Yarn count systems (tex = grams per 1 000 m).

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Yarn production

Opening, cleaning, carding, combing (for fine yarns), drawing, roving and spinning (ring and open-end spinning). Twist (S or Z) and twist level affect strength, handle and lustre. Yarn count systems (tex = grams per 1 000 m).

Worked example: A 500 m length of yarn weighs 10 g. Find its count in tex.

tex = (10 ÷ 500) × 1 000 = 20 tex

Woven fabrics

Looms; plain, twill, satin and their derivatives (rib, basket, herringbone); pile fabrics (velvet, towelling); fabric density (ends and picks per cm); grain and bias.

Knitted fabrics

Weft knitting (single jersey, rib, interlock) and warp knitting (tricot, raschel); stretch, comfort and laddering.

Non-woven and technical textiles

Bonded, needle-punched and felted fabrics; technical textiles for medicine, agriculture (shade netting), geotextiles and protective clothing.

Fabric properties and testing

Strength, abrasion resistance, drape, handle, pilling, dimensional stability, air permeability and thermal insulation.

Exam tip: Link fabric construction to end use – e.g. twill for workwear because diagonal floats make it hard-wearing.

Check yourself

  1. What is the tex of a yarn?
  2. Why does single jersey ladder easily?
  3. Give one use of geotextiles.
Show answers
  1. The mass in grams of 1 000 metres of yarn.
  2. If a loop breaks, the loops above unravel down the column (weft-knitted structure).
  3. Any one: soil stabilisation, erosion control, road construction drainage.
Next topicColour, dyeing, printing and finishing

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