Types of Synthetic Fibres: Rayon, Nylon, Polyester, Acrylic, Spandex

Did you realise that roughly \(75\% \) of the things we use are made of synthetic fibres? Synthetic fibres are used to make carpets, ropes, seat belts, and many more products that are part of our everyday lives. With this article, one can learn about synthetic fibres, how they are made, types of synthetic fibres, their properties, usages, and more.

What are Synthetic Fibres?

The man-made fibres produced from chemical substances are called synthetic fibres. Synthetic fibres are made in industry by the chemical process called ‘polymerisation’.

Synthetic fibre is a long chain of small units joined together. Each small unit is a chemical compound (called organic compound). Many, many such small units join together one after the other to form a very large single unit called a polymer. It is a man-made polymer that forms synthetic fibres. Thus, synthetic fibre is a polymer made from the molecules of a monomer joined together to form very long chains. Synthetic fibres are also known as man-made fibres or artificial fibres.

Types of Synthetic Fibres

Synthetic fibres are of two kinds:

1. They are made by processing natural materials, for example, rayon.
2. They are made entirely from chemicals. These include nylon, acrylic and polyester-plastic, and polyethene belong to the category of artificially synthesized materials.

How are they Manufactured?

1. The compounds of crude oil, coal or natural gas are used as the parent material for the manufacture of synthetic fibres. These solids are first heated at a very high temperature and pressure.
2. The solid matter thus gets melted or dissolved in a solvent.
3. This melted or dissolved material is then forced through the holes of a perforated plate called a spinneret.
4. Long fibres are formed through extrusion. These long-drawn fibres are spun into yarns using a spinning wheel.
5. The spun fibres are woven and knitted into the fabric and thus used for making clothes.

There is a wide range of synthetic fibres, including rayon, nylon, polyester, and acrylic. Let us study some of these fibres.

Rayon or Artificial Silk

Rayon was the first man-made fibre and has been called the laboratory’s first gift to the loom. It is made from the cellulose of wood pulp. That is why it is called a cellulosic polymer. As rayon is produced by the chemical treatment of cellulose (a natural substance), it is not a pure synthetic fibre.

Rayon was developed as a substitute for silk. Silk was probably discovered in China, but its production was kept a closely guarded secret for quite some time. Silk is the strongest natural fibre. It is soft, lustrous, and has a beautiful texture. The production of silk fibre was quite expensive. This led to extensive attempts to develop an artificial fibre that looked similar to silk and was relatively cheaper. The attempts succeeded in the late \(19{\rm{th}}\) century when scientists developed an artificial fibre by chemical processing of wood pulp. This fibre exhibited properties similar to silk and was named rayon (also called artificial silk).

Properties of Rayon Fibre

1. It is soft and shiny.
2. It is less expensive than silk.
3. It is comfortable to wear.
4. It can be easily dyed in different colours.
5. It absorbs moisture.

Uses of rayon

1. Clothing: It is used to make clothes and accessories such as shirts, blouses, dresses, jackets, sportswear, scarves, ties, and socks.
2. Home furnishings: Bedspreads, blankets, and upholstery can be made from rayon.
3. Industrial use: Industrial uses of rayon include medical surgery products and tyre cords.

Nylon

Nylon was the first true synthetic fibre. It was developed by the DuPont Company in the USA and first manufactured in \(1935\). It was made entirely from chemicals and used no plant or animal raw materials. It is prepared from coal, water, and air.

Properties of Nylon

1. It is elastic and does not lose strength even after repeated use.
2. It is lustrous and easy to wash.
3. It is waterproof.
4. It dries out quickly.
5. It does not wrinkle.

Uses of Nylon

Nylon is used for making socks, stockings, tents, umbrellas, parachutes, and tarps. Nylon fibres are used for making toothbrush bristles. Due to their high strength and elasticity, nylon threads are used for making fishing nets, climbing ropes, and strings of badminton and tennis racquets.

Polyester

Polyester is another synthetic fibre. Actually, polyester is the general name of synthetic fibres which contain many ester groups. Polyester (poly \(+\) ester) is made up of the repeating units of a chemical called an ‘ester’ (Esters are the organic chemical substances that give fruits their sweet smell). We can now say that polyester is a synthetic fibre in which the polymer units are linked by ester groups. Terylene is a popular polyester fibre. The chemical compounds (or monomers) used in making polyester fibres are made from petroleum products called petrochemicals. Like nylon, polyester is also a thermoplastic polymer. When molten polyester is forced through the tiny holes of a spinneret, then thin polyester fibres (or polyester threads) are formed. The polyester yarn can be woven to make fabrics.

Most of the Properties of Polyester Fibres (like Terylene) are Similar to those of Nylon

Polyester fibres are, however, less strong than nylon fibres. Polyester fibres are also softer than nylon fibres. Since the polyester fabric is strong, wrinkle-resistant, easy to wash and dry, not attacked by moths and ordinary chemicals, and has high abrasion resistance, it is quite suitable for making dress materials. This is why we see many people around us wearing polyester shirts and other dresses. Natural fibres (such as cotton or wool) are sometimes mixed with polyester (or terylene) to make blended fabrics. Blended fabrics are sold by names like poly cot (or terry cot) and poly-wool (or terry-wool). As the name suggests, these fabrics are made by mixing (or blending) two types of fibres. For example, the poly cot is a mixture of polyester and cotton. Similarly, poly wool is a mixture of polyester and wool.

Uses of Polyester Fibres

1. The most important use of polyester (like terylene) is in making fabrics for sarees, dress materials and curtains. Polyester mixed with cotton (called poly cot or terry cot) is used for making shirts, trousers and other dresses. Polyester mixed with wool (called poly-wool or terry wool) is used for making suits.
2. Polyester is used for making sailboats. The polyester sails are light, strong, do not stretch and do not rot in contact with water.
3. Polyester is used for making water hoses for fire-fighting operations.
4. Polyester is used for making conveyor belts.

From the above discussion, we conclude that synthetic fibres have become very popular, because they are strong and elastic and have low water absorption. Synthetic fibres are lightweight, long-lasting and extremely fine. They are wrinkle-resistant, chemically unreactive and not attacked by moths or common chemicals. Synthetic fibres are much more superior to natural fibres like cotton, wool and silk due to these properties.

Acrylic

Acrylic fibre is made from a chemical called ‘acrylonitrile’ by the process of polymerisation. Acrylic is lightweight, soft and warm with a wool-like feel. Acrylic retains its shape, resists shrinkage and wrinkles. It can be dyed very well. Acrylic fibres are strong and durable. Acrylic absorbs very little water, so it has a quick-dry quality. Acrylic fibres are resistant to moths and most chemicals.

Due to its wool-like feel, acrylic fibre is often used as a substitute for wool. The wool obtained from natural sources (like sheep) is quite expensive. Acrylic offers a less expensive alternative to natural wool. So, clothes made from acrylic are relatively cheaper but more durable than those made from natural wool. Many of the sweaters that the people wear in winter, and the shawls and blankets which people use, are actually not made from natural wool, though they appear to be made from wool. They are made from a synthetic fibre called acrylic. Acrylic fibre is used to make sweaters, shawls, blankets, jackets, sportswear, socks, furnishing fabrics, carpets, and lining for boots and gloves.

Spandex

Spandex, also known as Lycra, was invented by the DuPont chemist Joseph Shivers in \(1959.\)

Properties of Spandex

It has excellent elasticity, which makes it suitable for use in clothes that require snug fitting.

Uses of Spandex

Spandex is used for making swimming costumes. It is often mixed with other fibres, such as cotton, to get stretch fabrics used for making caps, T-shirts, shorts, and other sportswear.

Characteristics of Synthetic Fibres

Advantages of Synthetic Fibres

Synthetic fibres have the following advantages.

1. Most synthetic fibres have good elasticity.
2. Most fabrics made of synthetic fibres do not wrinkle easily.
3. Fabrics made of synthetic fibres are generally more durable, less expensive, and more readily available than those made of natural fibres.
4. Most synthetic fibres can handle heavy loads without breaking.

Disadvantages of Synthetic Fibres

Synthetic fibres have the following disadvantages.

1. Most fabrics made from synthetic fibres require careful ironing as they melt easily.
2. Most fabrics made from synthetic fibres absorb very little moisture. They become sticky when the body sweats, which makes them uncomfortable to wear in hot weather.
3. Most fabrics made from synthetic fibres catch fire very easily. Therefore, it is dangerous to wear them near a source of fire (e.g., while working in the kitchen).
4. Synthetic clothes do not allow the skin to breathe as they do not let the air pass through.

Summary

Synthetic fibres are used for making clothes and many other useful things. They may be entirely synthetic or semi-synthetic. Semi-synthetic fibres like rayon are made by using natural polymers as the starting material. Purely synthetic fibres, on the other hand, are made from chemicals. Polyesters, nylons and acrylics are purely synthetic fibres. In this article, we have learned about the different synthetic fibres, their properties, their uses and their characteristics.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Types of Synthetic Fibres

Q.1. What are different types of synthetic fibres?
Ans: The different types of synthetic fibres are rayon, acrylic, spandex, nylon, polyester.

Q.2. What are synthetic fibres and their types?
Ans: The man-made fibres produced from chemical substances are called synthetic fibres.
Synthetic fibres are of two kinds:

1. Semi synthetic fibres: They are made by processing natural materials, for example, rayon.
2. Synthetic fibres: They are made entirely from chemicals. These include nylon, acrylic and polyester.
   Plastic and polyethene belong to the category of artificially synthesized materials.

Q.3. Which is the strongest synthetic fibre?
Ans: Nylon fibre is the strongest synthetic fibre.

Q.4. Which are the four main natural fibres?
Ans: Fibres that are obtained from plants or animals are called natural fibres. Examples are cotton, jute, wool, and silk.

Q.5. Which is the first synthetic fibre?
Ans: Rayon was the first man-made fibre and has been called the laboratory’s first gift to the loom. It is made from the cellulose of wood pulp.

Q.5. Which is the first fully synthetic fibre?
Ans: Nylon was the first true synthetic fibre.  It was developed by the DuPont Company in the USA and first manufactured in \(1935.\) It was made entirely from chemicals and used no plant or animal raw materials. It is prepared from coal, water, and air.

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