|
Home / Culture and Society / Consumer
Types Of Natural Fabrics And Their Properties
By:Derek Both
Natural fabrics are derived from the fibres of animal coats, plant seeds, stems and leaves, and silkworm cocoons. They are soft and breathable and UV light does not cause discoloration.
Coir is a natural fabric which is obtained from the fibrous husk of a coconut. It is stress resistant, bio-degradable and buoyant. Coir is used to make sacking, twine, doormats and items such as bags and ropes. Coir can also be used in construction and to improve clays. It is a good fabric to control soil erosion.
Cotton is one of the best-known natural fabrics. The fibre grows around the seeds of the cotton plant and cotton has been used since about 3000 BC. Cotton is soft, strong, flame retardant, hypo-allergenic and easy to wash. It is the most popular natural fabric used in making clothing. It is also used to make home furniture, bags and medical products. Heavyweight cotton fabric can be used to make items such as shoes and tents.
Hemp is quite unusual in that it is both very soft and durable. It can be used for many things from work clothing to home decoration such as table linens, dish towels and sheets. It has a great luster and dyes easily.
Another widely used natural fabric is jute. It is economical and strong, reusable and repairable. Jute fabric comes in a number of varieties including Hessian, CBC, sacking, a heavy fabric variety, jute yarn, webbing and non-woven felt. It is a good insulator of electricity and heat. Examples of items made from jute fabric include fashion apparel, soft luggage, backing for carpets, inner spring webbing for car seats and bags or sacks for packing.
A natural fabric with interesting natural textures is leather. Leather is elastic and soft and very comfortable to wear. It does not pick up the surrounding temperature so is comfortable in heat or cold. As well as being made into clothing and shoes, is also used for belts, sofas, harnesses, wallets and many other things. Various types of leather include suede, nubuck, embossed leather and aniline leather which shows all the natural textures and scars.
Linen is hypo-allergenic and protects against sun radiation. It has been used for over 10,000 years and is luxurious and comfortable. Linen is obtained from the flax plant. It is strong and can absorb up to 20 times its own weight in liquid. It is used for rugs, painting canvases and apparel.
Ramie is stronger than linen or cotton. It is obtained from the ramie plant. Ramie is strong, absorbent and can be dyed easily. Its uses include clothing, pillow cases, tablecloths, sacks and cable insulation.
The strongest natural fabric in the world is silk, which is obtained from the cocoons of silk worms. Silk is luxurious, beautiful and keeps you warm in the cold or cool in the heat. Silk is used in clothing, medical textiles and home furnishings.
Another very durable yet soft fabric is wool. Wool comes from sheep, goats and even Angora rabbits. It has been used in clothing for over 12,000 years. There are various types of wool such as chenille, flannel, felt, tweed and melton. Wool is warm and absorbs moisture well. Wool is used in blankets, carpets and clothing.
Fabric blends are made of different types of fibres twisted together. This can result in an item that is easier to clean, care for or more comfortable. Polyester blended with cotton is very common. Silk can be blended with wool to result in a subtle texture, for example in making ties. Ramie blended with acrylic results in a softer fabric which is easier to care for.
Digg
del.icio.us
Blink
Stumble
Spurl
Reddit
Netscape
Furl
Article keywords: curtain fabrics
Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com
C and H Fabrics online at http://www.candh.co.uk/ offer a great variety of textile products including curtains, blinds and cushions.
|
|
| Top Consumer Articles |
|
|
- 2). Business Gift Giving Etiquette By : Gregg Hall
In general gifts are given in business to promote goodwill and foster good relationships. They are also given to show appreciation. How do you know what is a
proper gift?
|
- 3). Why should I consolidate my bills? By : Jon Butt
So, why should I consolidate my bills? For starters, there are many different ways to proceed with bill consolidation and debt consolidation. In the grand scheme of things, all of us would be happy with a debt consolidation loan with excellent terms, but there are other ways
|
- 4). Buying Bedding for your Home By : James Hunt
Buying bedding for your home is a purchase that you’ll likely be making at least once or twice a year. For the colder months you may want to buy duvet covers that are warmer and cozier than bed covers that you have during the summer...
|
|
|
- 6). Features and Benefits of DLP TVs By : JOHN DULANEY
Even today, Texas Instruments remains the primary manufacturer of this technology. Many different manufacturers license the technology from Texas Instruments, and build their products around the TI chipset. In addition to its use in televisions and projectors, DLP technology is used in a number of specialized applications such as lithography and imaging.
|
- 7). Fun With Digital Voice Recorders By : Shawn Davis
Do you need to have a recording of your telephone conversations for legal, covert or even training purposes? There are many types of digital voice recorders available. Once such recorder has a five hour recording capacity and features a caller ID, which records two way conversations with ease. It also features automatic recording that works only when the telephone is in use.
|
- 8). Consumer Electronics Items By : Henry De Guzman
Introduction:
The daily use of electronic equipments are known as consumer electronics and includes TV, telephone, DVD, CD, PC, laptop etc. These equipments are manufactured throughout the world. With the advancement in electronic engineering at a continuous pace, a number of new variety electronics items flood into the market every year and the cost the existing products reduces continuously and it is one of the biggest advantage of consumer electronics industry.
|
- 9). Show Off That Awesome Plasma TV with the Perfect Stand By : Nathan T. Lynch
Plasma TVs are one of the hottest electronic items being sold today. They are somewhat of a financial investment so whether you’re planning on creating an entire home theatre system for your family or just want a nice way to show off your new TV, a plasma TV stand is an excellent idea. Here’s a few different types of TV stands and cabinets to assist you with your decision making.
|
- 10). Home Theater Construction That Really Sings By : William Matt
When creating a home theater, it can help to heed some sound advice: Working with the right materials can do a lot to improve the overall acoustic integrity of the system.
For example, medium density fiberboard (MDF) is widely used in the manufacture of furniture, cabinets, door parts, mouldings, millwork and laminate flooring. MDF is a composite panel product consisting of recycled wood fibers combined with a synthetic bonding system and joined together under heat and pressure.
|
| New Consumer Articles |
|
|
|
|
|
|
- 4). Make Your Shoes Last Longer By : Gregg Hall
Everything is more expensive these days. I am only 44 years old and I can remember when gas was less than fifty cents a gallon, a nice house was thirty thousand and a great new car for less than ten thousand.
|
|
|
- 6). The Phone Card - It Will Save You Money By : Dean Caporella
The phone card has been a tremendous boon for international travellers but did you know more and more people are discovering their cost effectiveness in making long distance calls within their own country.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- 10). The Samsung 42 Plasma -- Samsung HP-P4271 42in HDTV Ready Plasma Television By : John Lloyd
The new fourth-generation Samsung 42 plasma is out, offering state-of-the-art high performance high-definition display and resolution.
As opposed to the liquid crystal type display technology, plasmas create their stunningly life-like pictures through a complicated gas-based system. The plasma display idea has been around since 1964, but is only now coming into its own for practicality.
|
|
|
