Fibre to Fabric

What you'll learn

• Difference between natural and synthetic fibres.
• How cotton and jute are obtained from plants.
• How silk and wool are obtained from animals.
• How spinning converts fibre into yarn, and yarn into fabric.

Key concepts

What is a fibre?

• Fibre: thin, hair-like strands of material used to make yarn and fabric.
• Yarn: long continuous strand made by twisting fibres together.
• Fabric: cloth made by weaving or knitting yarn.

Two types of fibres:

Natural fibres from plants

Cotton:

• Comes from the white fluffy seed pod (cotton boll) of the cotton plant (Gossypium sp.).
• Fibre is made of cellulose.
• Ginning: removing seeds from cotton fibres after harvesting.
• Properties: soft, absorbs sweat, comfortable in hot weather.
• Cotton grows best in warm climates with moderate rainfall — major producers: India, USA, China.

Jute:

• Obtained from the stem of the jute plant by a process called retting (soaking stems in water for 10–30 days to separate fibres by bacterial action).
• Strong, coarse, golden-brown fibre.
• Uses: sacks, ropes, bags, mats, carpet backing.
• Eco-friendly — biodegradable; grown in West Bengal (India), Bangladesh.

Natural fibres from animals

Silk (from Class 6 intro level):

• Comes from the cocoon of the silkworm (Bombyx mori).
• Silkworm spins a continuous thread around itself to form a cocoon.
• Cocoons are boiled to kill the pupa and soften the silk → thread reeled off.
• Properties: smooth, shiny, strong, lightweight.

Wool (from Class 6 intro level):

• Comes mainly from sheep's fleece (coat of wool).
• Shearing: cutting the wool from sheep (once a year; painless).
• Properties: warm, elastic, absorbs moisture without feeling wet.

From fibre to fabric — the process

Spinning:

• Spinning wheel (charkha): traditional hand-operated device to spin cotton into yarn.
• Modern spinning mills: machines spin fibre into yarn very fast.
• During spinning, fibres are drawn out (stretched) and twisted → interlocking makes yarn strong.

Synthetic fibres (brief introduction)

• Synthetic fibres are generally stronger, cheaper, and more durable than natural fibres.
• Disadvantage: not biodegradable → cause environmental pollution.
• Melt easily when exposed to fire/heat → danger.

Comparison

Quick check

• What is the difference between a fibre and a fabric?
• How is cotton obtained? What is ginning?
• What is retting? Which fibre is obtained by retting?
• What is spinning? Name the traditional device used to spin cotton.
• Give two advantages and two disadvantages of synthetic fibres over natural fibres.

Open the Practice tab for graded questions on Fibre to Fabric.