Abstract
AN exhibition of new textile fibres has been arranged at the Science Museum, South Kensington, and will be opened on July 3 for two months. To-day fibres possessing many of the properties of natural wool are manufactured from skimmed milk. The exhibit illustrating the stages in the manufacture of casein yarn includes several examples of fabrics, woven on worsted machinery. Another group of exhibits includes yarns and materials as produced by the viscose and cellulose acetate methods. These are generally termed rayon or ‘artificial silk’. By modification of the spinning processes it is now possible to manufacture exceptionally strong yarns of this material, and some of the applications are illustrated by such articles as a section of a motor tyre showing the cord reinforcement, ‘doped’ aeroplane fabric, fine gauge hose, sail cloth, etc. An interesting American exhibit shows a new type of cellulose acetate rayon in which the fibre is characterized by an inherent stabilized crimp, producing a yarn the behaviour of which is comparable in some respects to that of wool. One of the most important textile discoveries of recent times has been that of nylon. This is a truly synthetic yarn and is the first textile fibre prepared wholly of raw materials from the mineral kingdom. Although derived from coal, air and water, nylon can be produced in filaments of exceptional strength or as fine as a spider's web, yet having elasticity and lustre. Another striking development is to be found in the use of glass fibres. Objects showing this class of fibre include woven and knitted fabrics made entirely of pure glass with a collection of articles indicating the commercial applications. An exhibit of interest from Tokyo shows fibre and yarn produced from seaweed. Jute, sisal, and hemp are each represented, with examples of the latest types of yarns and materials produced from these fibres.
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Exhibition of New Textile Fibres. Nature 144, 18 (1939). https://doi.org/10.1038/144018c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/144018c0