Factor affecting polymer /fiber properties

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 Properties of fiber Physical properties
 Tenacity
 Fineness
Chemical Properties
 Moisture Absorption
 Resistance to Acids
 Abrasion Resistance
 Resistance to Alkali
 Crease Recovery
 Resistance to Organic Solvents
 Elongation
 Resistance to Sunlight
 Elastic Recover
 Resistance to Mildew
 Resiliency
 Resistance to Micro Biological
 Luster
Attacks
 Flexibility
 Resistance to Bleaching , Washing
 Uniformity
& Dry Cleaning
 Specific Gravity
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 Softening and Melting Points
Factor affecting polymer /fiber properties

Polymer structure
 Linear
 Branched
 Crosslinked

Tensile strength
 The tensile strength of a polymer quantifies how much stress

the polymer will endure before failing.

 Tensile strength changes with change in polymer structure.
 Branched< Linear< Crosslinked

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Solubility
• Solubility is the ability of a polymer to dissolve in a solvent.
• Solubility change with change in polymer structure.
– Increases with short branch
– Decreases with long branch
– Decreases with crosslinking

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 Effect on Tg
 Cross-linking involves the formation intermolecular connections
through chemical bonds.
 This process necessarily results in reduction in chain mobility.
 Consequently, Tg increases.
 Like long and flexible side chains, branching increases the
separation between chains, enhances the free volume, and
therefore decreases Tg

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 Chain Flexibility
Chain flexibility is enhanced by the presence of such groups as –O–
and –(CO·O)– and by increasing the length of (–CH2–) units in the
main chain. Increase in elastic recovery

Rubber crosslinks

Rigid chains

Some stiffness 6
 Spandex – elastomeric fiber

Urethane groups [- NHCOO -]

Polyurethane with soft and hard segments

Extremely high elongation

Rubber - like elasticity
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 Plasticization
 Plasticity:- The ability of a material to undergo plastic or permanent
deformation.
 Plasticization:- Process of inducing plastic flow in a material.
 In polymers, achieved in part by the addition of low-molecular-weight
organic compounds referred to as plasticizers. Usually:–
 Non-polymeric, organic liquids of high boiling points

 Addition of plasticizers to a polymer

Increases intermolecular distance, thereby decreasing intermolecular
bonding forces.
– Results in a rapid increase in chain ends and hence an increase in free
volume.

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 To increase flexibility, elongation and to reduce hardness

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 Fiber morphology

Roughly oval with triangular (with rounded angle) crossection of individual filaments

Triangular cross-section
Luster

Longitudinal and crossectional view

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 Bulky side groups

 The big side groups limit how closely the polymer chains can pack
together.
 The further they are from each other, the more easily they can move
around.
 increase the amorphous

 60% in wool and 35% in silk

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 Molecular weight

 Molecular weight is the average weight of the

molecules that make up a polymer and gives
an indication of the length of the polymer
chains
 Molecular weight can have a huge impact on a
material’s final properties
 The presence of small amounts of very long or
very short chains can have drastic effects on
properties of the material.

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 A high molecular weight polymer increases the mechanical properties.
Higher molecular weight implies longer polymer chains and a longer
polymer chain implies more entanglement thereby they resist sliding over
each other.
 Increasing the molecular weight and the chain length of the polymer
increases impact strength.
 Thermal properties can also improved by increasing the molecular
weight.

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Fiber structure

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 Fiber structure

Properties of fibers are reflections of their structure.

Fiber properties, and indeed the properties of any
substance, may be Conveniently classified as
Chemical
Physical and
Mechanical

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 In order to relate these varied properties of fibers with
their structure it is desirable to define the level of structure
to be considered.
 For this purpose it seems appropriate to define three
levels of organization.
 Organo chemical structure
 Macro molecularstructure
 Supermolecularstructure

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Organo chemical structure: describes quite simply the chemical
structure of the repeating unit in the base polymer from which the fiber
is made, and is not a unique feature of the fiber.
Macromolecular structure: describes the entire polymer molecule in
terms of chain length, chain length distribution, chain stiffness,
molecular size, and molecular shape.
Super molecular structure: To find structural features that become
characteristic of fibers.
The arrangement of the polymer chains in three-dimensional space,
 The extent and nature of interactions between individual polymer
chains and between certain aggregates of these chains, may be
defined as the supermolecular structure

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Determines unique features of fibers.
It is at this supermolecular level of structure that one introduces the
concept of lateral or three-dimensional order, and such terms as
 Crystallinity
 Orientation
 Crystallite perfection
 Crystallite size
 Defects
 Packing
 Micelles and fibrils.

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 Structural models of fibers

1. Fringed micelle structure

2. Modified fringed micelle structure (with chain folding)

3. Spherulitic structure
4. Fringed fibril structure
5. Crystal with crystal defects etc.

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 Fringed micelle structure

 Explain the properties of the cotton fiber.

 Size of micelle or the crystallites is 5*10-2 mm long and 5*10-3 mm
wide
 The same molecules pass through many crystalline regions and
several parts of the non-crystalline regions.

Note the model satisfies the requirements for fiber formation (long
chain/partly oriented/partly crystalline etc.) 20
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 Fringed fibril structure

 Electron microscope observations have shown micro

fibrils in cottons, wools and rayon fibers.
 This led to the introduction of fringed fibril structure.

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 HM Rayon
Regular rayon

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Spherulitic Structure

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 Characteristic layered structure of fibrils of natural fiber

Hierarchial organization of elements

Elementary fibrils Microfibrils Macrofibrils

 Elementary fibril diameter is about 3.5 - 5nm

 The diameter of main construction units vary depending on source.

 Diameter and length of fiber determined by macrofibril dimensions.

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 Natural Fibers are created by natural polymerization
 Polymers join together and create Micro Fibrils.
 Micro fibrils lay parallel to each other and create fibrils
and then Fibers.

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End

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