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Fabric History
History of the principal natural fibers used in textiles for apparel and home fashion
FLAX
5,000 + B.C
- Generally considered to be the oldest natural textile fiber.
- Fine linen was used as burial shrouds for the Egyptian pharaohs
- Largest producer: Soviet States; other large producers include Poland, Germany, Belgium
and France. Largest exporters are Northern Ireland and Belgium.
- Earliest use estimated between 3,000 BC to 5,000 BC.
- Worn by Egyptians earlier than 2,500 BC.
- Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin in 1793 revolutionized the processing of
cotton.
- The development of the power loom in 1884 brought significant improvements and
variations to cotton fabrics.
- Major producers: United States, Soviet States, China and India. Lessor producers include
Pakistan, Brazil, Turkey, Egypt, Mexico Iran and Sudan.
- Used by people of the Late Stone Age,
- There are 40 different breeds of sheep, which produce approximately 200 types of wool of
varying grades.
- Major producers include: Australia, New Zealand, Soviet States, China, South Africa, and
Argentina.
- Believed discovered by a Chinese princess.
- Silk is made from two continuous filaments cemented together and used to form the cocoon
of the silkworm.
- Silk culture began about 1725 BC, sponsored by the wife of China's emperor.
- Secrets of cultivation and fabric manufacturing were closely guarded by the Chinese for
about 3,000 years.
- There is a story that two monks smuggled seeds of the mulberry tree and silkworm eggs
out of China by hiding them in their walking sticks.
- India learned of silk culture when a Chinese princess married an Indian prince.
- The major producer and exporter of silk is Japan.
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Man-MadeFibers:
The history of U.S. Production of the principal man-made fibers used in textiles for
apparel and home fashion
- The first man-made fiber.
- The first commercial production of rayon fiber in the United States was in 1910 by the
American Viscose Company.
- By using two different chemicals and manufacturing techniques, two basic types of rayon
were developed. They were viscose rayon and cuprammonium rayon.
- Today, only viscose rayon is being produced in the U.S.
The first commercial production of acetate fiber in the United States was in 1924 by
the Celanese Corporation.
- The first commercial production of nylon in the United States was in 1939 by the E. I.
du Pont de Nemours & Company, Inc. It is the second most used man-made fiber in this
country, behind polyester.
The first commercial production of acrylic fiber in the United States was in 1950 by E.
I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Inc.
- The first commercial production of polyester fiber in the United States was in 1953 by
E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Inc.
- Polyester is the most used man-made fiber in the U.S.
- The first commercial production of triacetate fiber in the United States was in 1954 by
the Celanese Corporation.
- Domestic Triacetate production was discontinued in 1985.
SPANDEX: 1959
- The first commercial production of spandex fiber in the United States was in 1959 by E.
I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Inc.
- It is an elastomeric man-made fiber (able to stretch at least 100% and snap back like
natural rubber).
- Spandex is used in filament form.
POLYOLEFIN/ POLYPROPYLENE: 1961
- The first commercial production of an olefin fiber manufactured in the U.S. was by
Hercules Incorporated.
- In 1966, polyolefin was the world's first and only Nobel-Prize winning fiber.
MICRO FIBERS/ MICRODENIER: 1989
- The first commercial production of micro fiber in the U.S. was in 1989 by E. I. du Pont
de Nemours & Company, Inc. Today micro fibers are produced in a variety of synthetic
fibers (i.e. polyester, nylon, acrylic, etc.)
- The true definition of a micro fiber is a fiber that has less than one denier per
filament. Micro Fiber is the thinnest, finest of all man-made fibers. It is finer than the
most delicate silk.
- To relate it to something more familiar--A human hair is more than 100 times the size of
some micro fibers
LYOCELL: 1993
- The first commercial production of lyocell in the U.S. was in 1993 by Courtaulds Fibers,
under the Tencel¨ trade name.
- Environmentally friendly, lyocell is produced from the wood pulp of trees grown
specifically for this purpose. It is specially processed, using a solvent spinning
technique in which the dissolving agent is recycled, reducing environmental effluents.
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