Handbook of Textile Fibres: Man-Made Fibres | J Gordon Cook

Contents

FOREWORD
The manufacture of textiles is one of the oldest and most important industries of all. Its raw materials are fibres, and the study of textiles therefore begins with an understanding of the fibres from which modern textiles are made.

In this book, an outline is given of the history, production and fundamental properties of important textile fibres in use today. The behaviour of each fibre as it affects the nature of its fabric is discussed.

The book is in two volumes. Volume I deals with the natural fibres on which we depended for our textiles until comparatively recent times. Volume II is concerned with man-made fibres, including rayons and other natural polymer fibres, and the true synthetic fibres which have made such rapid progress in modern times.

The book has been written for all concerned with the textile trade who require a background of information on fibres to help them in their work. Every effort has been made to ensure that the text is accurate and up-to-date. The information on man-made fibres is based on facts supplied by the manufacturers of the fibres themselves.

In writing this book I have been given much encouragement and help by many individuals and organizations. The manufacturers of the man-made fibres mentioned in the text have gone to great trouble on my behalf in providing information and in checking the text before publication. I would like to acknowledge their help, with grateful thanks.

NOTE ON THE FIFTH EDITION
The man-made fibre industry has expanded greatly since the fourth edition of Handbook of Textile Fibres was published. Many new fibres have come into production in countries throughout the world, but the emphasis has been largely on development and modification of established fibre classes, rather than upon the introduction of fibres of new chemical types.

Within almost every chemical class there is now a family of fibres displaying a range of properties and applications limited only by the fundamental chemical structure of the fibre class. To include detailed information about every fibre in production would have meant producing a book of unmanageable and uneconomic size. In this volume, therefore, I have provided background information about each chemical class of fibre, based usually upon a fibre in current production which exemplifies its chemical class. More specific information about individual* fibres will be found in a supplementary volume.

Since the fourth edition was published, production of some classes of fibre has been suspended. I have, however, retained information about these fibre classes; they are of technical and historical interest, and there is always the possibility that production of these fibres may restart to meet changing economic and technical circumstances.

As in previous editions, I have been given much valued assistance by fibre manufacturers and textile organisations throughout the world. Many individuals have gone to great trouble on my behalf by providing information and checking the text before publication. I would like to acknowledge their help with grateful thanks.

J Gordon Cook