Natural fibres are the fibres that we get from plants or animals. Example: We get cotton from cotton plant, we get wool from sheep.
Synthetic fibres are the fibres that are made with chemicals in lab. These are also called man-made fibres. Example: rayon, polyester.
What is polymer?
Synthetic fibres are made of a chain of small chemical units. These small units are called polymer.
Meaning of polymer:
Polymer is derived from two Greek words: poly means many and mer means units.
Characteristics / Features/ Advantages of synthetic fibres
Synthetic fibres are cheap
They are durable
They are easy to wash and dry
They are wrinkle free
They do not get damaged by insects
They are easy to maintain
Disadvantage of synthetic fibres
The major disadvantage of synthetic fibre is that they easily catch fire. Therefore, it is recommended not to go near the fire while wearing any fabric made of synthetic fibre.
Types of synthetic fibres
There are many types of synthetic fibres. Major of them are as follows:
Rayon
Nylon
Polyester
Acrylic
Rayon:
Rayon is known as the artificial silk.
It is cheaper than silk.
It can easily be woven in silk clothes
Rayon is mixed with cotton to make bed sheets
It is also mixed with wool to make carpets
Nylon:
Nylon is very strong, elastic, and lightweight.
It is shiny
It is cheap and easily washable
Many items such as socks, sleeping bags, curtains etc are made with nylon.
Polyester:
It is cheap
Fabrics made with polyester are easy to wash.
Polyester fabrics are wrinkle free.
Many dress material such as shirts are made with it.
Terylene and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) are two popular types of polyester.
PET is used to make bottles, films, wire etc.
Acrylic:
Acrylic is cheaper than wool.
It is used for making sweater and shawls.
It is available in many colors
Plastics
There are two types of plastics:
Thermoplastics
Thermosetting plastic
Thermoplastics are easily bent and deformed on heating. They are mainly used for making toys, container, and comb. Example of thermoplastics are Polythene and PVC.
Thermosetting plastics cannot bent and deformed once they are moulded. They are poor conductor of heat and electricity and hence they’re used to make switches and utensils handles. Examples of thermosetting plastics are Bakelite.
Characteristics of plastic
Plastics are easily available.
They are cheaper than metal.
Plastic do not react with water or air. Hence, they are durable.
They are lightweight and found in many colors.
Plastics are poor conductor of electricity; hence, they’re used in making electrical switches.
Plastics are poor conductor of heat; hence, they’re used in making utensils handles.
Impact of plastics on our environment
Plastics are very useful for us but they are not environmental friendly. A plastic is a non-biodegradable substance, which means that it cannot be decomposed by the act of bacteria. It can live as long as for thousands of years.
