Textiles+-+Natural+polymers

toc =Introduction to natural polymers = These are fibres that are made from cellulose a natural polymer, but the fibre structure has been chemically altered by man, therefore the original fibres are reborn or regenerated, but are not totally man-made. Regenerated fibres are produced from raw materials that form fibres naturally, for example wood pulp or cotton linter. These raw materials are reformed to produce fibres or filaments suitable for making into yarns. The first commercial regenerated synthetic fibre was rayon, also known as artificial silk and was made from modified cellulose / wood pulp, later known as viscose.

=Types of regenerated fibres = Regenerated fibers are sometimes known as man‐made fibers. These are fibers that have been created artificially by using the building blocks provided by nature (e.g. proteins or cellulose) as opposed to fibers made entirely by nature (e.g. cotton). A regenerated fiber would typically be a natural material that has been converted by wet‐chemical processing that allows the production of continuous filaments that can then be spun into fiber (e.g. viscose). There are two primary types of regenerated fibers:
 * Regenerated fibers from **cellulose** – Rayon and viscose are regenerated cellulosic fibers. The issue that is oPen brought up about regenerated fibers is that the processing uses harsh chemicals and is environmentally damaging. Tencel is considered a more environmentally friendly regenerated fiber, and it has different properties from rayon. It is a solvent spun fiber in which the cellulose is directly dissolved keeping the cellulose much closer to that found in nature. The fiber is sourced from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests, and the processing is done in a closed‐loop system where very little pollution escapes into the environment.
 * Regenerated **fibers** from protein sources are called Azlons and sources of the proteins include soy, corn, peanuts and even milk.

**Properties & Characteristics** It is important to understand the aesthetic, functional and structural composition, working characteristics and advantages/disadvantages of the following fibres in the design and production of textile yarns, fabrics and products, as well as describe the process from natural fibre to finished fabric using a simple flow chart: As regenerated fibres are from a plant-based source, their properties are similar to those of cotton: =Flow charts fibre to fabric =
 * Regenerated cellulosic **
 * viscose
 * acetate
 * Tencel®
 * rayon

=Links = www.tencel.com www.fibersource.com @http://www.ask.com/question/what-is-a-regenerated-fibre =Revision = @http://www.isambard.swindon.sch.uk/_includes/attachments/P847/Regenerated%20Fibres.pdf @http://textileexchange.org/sites/default/files/eco_fibre.pdf