Blog #8 - Fiber Basics

Blog #8 - Fiber Basics

Technical Nylon

Nylon, a thermoplastic, is one of the most important synthetic polymers. about 4,000,000 tons per year is produced worldwide. nylon is made into fibers for ropes, clothing and reinforcing tires. nylon is made from two monomers. It’s made up of a chain of two monomers, adipic acid and hexamethylene, which when reacting together, and linking create nylon. The origin of the two natural materials to make the monomers are from crude oil. Nylon is oxidized in a plant and brought to another plant for mixing. The stages of the process begin with air and then nitric acid. Adipic acid is a white powder. It reacts with hydrogen to get hexamethylene. They are mixed together to get nylon salt and when the water is driven out at a specific temperature, nylon is produced. When the white nylon is produced, it is molten and is then pushed or forced through holes to get laces of nylon. Then they are remolded and pushed through finer holes to create nylon fibers.

Polyester resin was originally created to be poured in thin layers. This video references Dewain valentine who did lots of work and auctioning to study polyester and resin applications. Other chemists and fiber specialists consider Valentine to be an artist and craftsman in many ways because his facile and deliberate work style created such interesting and successful materials. He made his own resin and used chemistry to determine the makeup of unsaturated polyester. He learned about ester linkages and how the presence of many of them, or poly, results in polyester. Unsaturated polyester means they have the ability to link to other molecules. You have molecules that are small in liquid life, but you can add a catalyst in it to produce its solid form with the use of an electron to form an excited, unstable state. When they are unstable like this, they connect to their neighbors and stick together to produce a solid and long connection of resin material. Ed Revay is another man that worked with Valentine to create the RS 50112. This is one example of a material creation than was manufactured where every condition had to be perfectly placed and orchestrated to work. One speck of dirt could throw off the whole process. After trial and error, they created something that wasn't originally there.

ONE STEP FURTHER:

Jacquard Weave - The Craftsmanship Nanjing Yunjin Brocade

The craftsmanship of the Nanjing Yunjin Brocade produced beautiful, traditional handicraft. There is a 1,500-year history of this technique and craftsmanship. This technique originated in China and is the culmination of all the favorite techniques. It is named for its beautiful patterns reminiscent of clouds in the sky and with its color waving in weaves and “peacock feather weaving products". To create this, a wooden loom jonquil technique produces two brocades to be irreplaceable even with the creation of modern-day machines. It captures the six ancient dynasties and ten kingdoms in China. It involves over 100 procedures in its production, including pattern designing, Tiao Hua Jie Ben, the preparation of raw materials, the setup of looms, and weaving. Pattern designing is done by drawing out the design on draft paper with horizontal and vertical lines to produce a grid. Tiao Hue Jie Ben uses suit and cotton threads to create a weave by adopting knots and complex colors and patterns. The longest one was 170 meters. These techniques and processes produce designers and intricately detailed workers. Raw materials used can include goat thread and peacock feathers. Other specific techniques and terms describe the process of creating the traditional weave and fabric patterns and are listed and explained in the rest of the video. I found this very interesting because I love the history of the traditional weave, the cultural and religious aspects concerning Buddha, and the ability God gave the people who create these relics and heirlooms. 

Nylon production

Polyester Resin

The craftsmanship of Nanjing Yunjin brocade