February 2020 Issue Apparel February 2020 issue | Page 71

FEATURE the wide range of application and possibilities is mind-boggling. Apart from what is happening internationally, several pilot projects have been initiated by textile research organisations and institutes in India to help the booming industry. REVOLUTIONS IN BLENDING A paper titled Blended Textiles for Niche Market from Natural Fibres by S K Chattopadhyay and M Ahmed, Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT), Mumbai, speaks WHAT’S BLENDING? Today, blending of fabrics has become so common that at times, it is difficult to know what the fabric is made of. Many a time, it is the certification that gives details about what has gone into creating a particular fabric or garment. However, sometimes, blending requires complex chemical tests to ascertain the attributes and comaptibility of the concerned fibres. Blending produces interesting possibilities and options to create innumerable varieties of fabrics and beautiful garments. It is carried out on a large scale, with the yarns being consumed by composite mills. Classic blends make use of natural and man-made fibres. Some of these include— cotton-polyester, cotton-spandex, cotton-lycra, cotton-modal, cotton-viscose, and even cotton with other natural fibres. The same combinations can be worked with silk, wool, and jute as well. Blended fabrics are also procured from bamboo, pineapple, soy, milk, aloe vera, banana, and areca nut, cellulosic fibres derived from wood pulp, recycled cotton and polyester fibres. The umpteen combinations that can be created and BLENDING PRODUCES INTERESTING POSSIBILITIES AND OPTIONS TO CREATE INNUMERABLE VARIETIES OF FABRICS. “Throughout history, blended fabrics have been developed to cater to specific needs, combining the attributes of different fibres to achieve a desired outcome.” Examples of blended fabrics include cotton with viscose, cotton with spandex, linen and silk, wool and viscose, and so on. The resultant fabric combines the properties of both (or all) fibres; and in fact, the disadvantages of one balance themselves out with the advantages of the other. This assumes significance as today, with an increased emphasis on eco-friendliness and sustainability, various recycled fibres are made to come together to create interesting combinations of yarns. APPAREL I February 2020 I 63