Fabric lab

1. Questions
   1. Cotton and Wool are natural, and Nylon, Rayon, and Polyester are synthetics
   2. The synthetics all have dramatically more filaments than the natural fabrics.
   3. It was difficult to determine a fabric solely from filament count
   4. The Wool, Cotton, and Rayon were knitted
   5. The weave patterns vary the most. Each fabric has a distinct weave.
   6. The thicker fabrics floated, and the thin ones absorbed the water and sank.
   7. The flame test had interesting results. Cotton and Wool kind of burned and smoldered, While the synthetics all melted.
   8. There were no trends with density in the retention test. Wool and cotton held much of its water. Rayon held almost 400% of its original weight
   9. A standard drying time for each fabric is used as a control and allows all of the fabrics be compared to each other, since they have been put through the same process.
   10. The chemical tests work to identify the fabrics. The characteristics of each fabric is unique.
   11.   See questions below

   
   

   1. How does it react to HCL? a. Looks frozen/bubbles (Cotton) b. Decays/melts completely (Nylon) c. does not absorb (Rayon) d. absorbs/smokes (Wool, Polyester)
   2. How does it react to NH4OH? a. Does not absorb (Wool) b. Smokes (polyester)

   Discovery

2. I did not know that these materials could act so differently. There were large differences between natural and synthetic materials, which I already understood, but there were also large discrepancies within the synthetic materials.  These materials were so different once the various tests were preformed. Before this lab, I knew the basics of natural vs. synthetic, but did not realize the scale of variability within the synthetic fibers. Nylon and Rayon, for example, look very similar in feel and stretch. When these two fabrics are placed under acid however, Rayon reactls minimally while Nylon becomes a gum. The shape of fibers and material create these special qualities, almost like separate elements.

 

Tags: LG3, S3, S1