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
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