Textile fibers, manufactured

MAJOR APPLICATIONS Acrylonitrile copolymers are used extensively in textile fiber manufacture and in nitrile rubber. Copolymers are used in gaskets, grommets, hoses, printing roll surfaces, diaphragms, and in plumbing accessories. They also are used in adhesive and coating applications. 

Textile technology is used to mechanically or aerodynamicaHy arrange textile fibers into preferentially oriented webs. Fabrics produced by these systems are referred to as dry-laid nonwovens. Dry-laid nonwovens are manufactured with machinery associated with staple fiber processing, such as cards and gametts, which are designed to manipulate preformed fibers in the dry state. Also included in this category are nonwovens made from filaments in the form of tow, and fabrics composed of staple fibers and stitching filaments or yams, ie, stitchbonded nonwovens. 

Sorbitan oleate and the monolaurate are pale yeUow Hquids. Palmitates and stearates are light tan soHds. Sorbitan esters are not soluble in water but dissolve in a wide range of mineral and vegetable oils. They are lipophilic emulsifiers, solubiHzers, softeners, and fiber lubricants that find appHcation in synthetic fiber manufacture, textile processing, and cosmetic products. Sorbitan esters have been approved for human ingestion and are widely used as emulsifiers and solubiHzers in foods, beverages, and pharmaceuticals. 

Fibrous Glass. Fibrous glass is manufactured in two different forms, very fine intermingled fibers called insulation fibrous glass for insulation and fine but coarser fibers called continuous or textile fibers for reinforcement and other textile appHcations. Both products have constmction related apphcations. 

Special mention must be made of poly(lactic acid), a biodegradable/bio-resorbable polyester, obtained from renewable resources through fermentation of com starch sugar. This polymer can compete with conventional thermoplastics such as PET for conventional textile fibers or engineering plastics applications. Hie first Dow-Cargill PLA manufacturing facility is scheduled to produce up to 140,000 tons of Nature Works PLA per year beginning in 200245 at an estimated price close to that of other thermoplastic resins U.S. l/kg.46 Other plants are planned to be built in the near future.45... 

The principal use of acrylonitrile since the early 1950s has been in the manufacture of so-called acrylic textile fibers. Acrylonitrile is first polymerized to polyacrylonitrile, which is then spun into fiber. The main feature of acrylic fibers is their wool-like characteristic, making them desirable for socks, sweaters, and other types of apparel. However, as with all synthetic textile fibers, fashion dictates the market and acrylic fibers currently seem to be in disfavor, so this outlet for acrylonitrile may be stagnant or declining. The other big uses for acrylonitrile are in copolymers, mainly with styrene. Such copolymers are very useful for the molding of plastic articles with very high impact resistance. 

Both terephthalic acid (TPA) and dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) are used exclusively for the manufacture of polyesters for textile fibers (e.g,. Dacron ), films, soft-drink bottles, and engineering resins for automotive applications. The glycol used for most TPA-based polyesters is ethylene glycol. The polyester is then known as polyethylene terephthalate, or PET. 

Coatings and Surface Modifications. Probably the one application of photopolymer chemistry that has the most worldwide commercial value in terms of product sales is the use of photopolymer materials for curable coatings. Most of the wood paneling and less expensive furniture manufactured today utilize UV or electron-beam curable materials for decorative finishes (e.g. simulation of wood grain) and protective coatings. In addition, the surfaces of many commercially important materials (e.g. textile fibers and polyester films) are being modified by photopolymer processes. 

PET fibers are produced in a variety of forms, broadly classified as staple fibers, textile filament and industrial filament. End-uses for these variants have different requirements in terms of fiber properties and physical geometry, and so different fiber manufacturing processes have evolved according to the special needs of each market segment. 

Together, antifreeze, PET, and polyester polymers account for about 98% of the ethylene glycol produced in the United States. It is also used sometimes as a deicer for aircraft surfaces. The two hydroxyl groups in the EG molecule also make EG suitable for the manufacture of surfactants and in latex paints. Other applications include hydraulic brake fluid, the manufacture of alkyd resins for surface coatings, and stabilizers for water dispersions of urea-formaldehyde and melamine-formaldehyde The hygroscopic properties (absorbs moisture from the air) make EG useful as a humectant for textile fibers, paper, leather, and adhesives treatment. 

Cellulose acetate fibers are defined by the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act as manufactured fibers in which the fiber-forming substance is cellulose acetate in which not less than 92% of the hydroxyl groups are acetylated. Cellulose triacetate is employed to make many tricot fabrics and sportswear. Cellulose triacetate textile is shrink- and wrinkle-resistant and easily washed. 

Rayon is defined by the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act as a manufactured fiber composed of regenerated cellulose, as well as manufactured... 

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