{"id":49377,"date":"2023-05-23T09:42:27","date_gmt":"2023-05-23T13:42:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/?p=49377"},"modified":"2023-05-23T09:42:28","modified_gmt":"2023-05-23T13:42:28","slug":"textile-engineering-course-expands-foundational-fiber-skills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/textile-engineering-course-expands-foundational-fiber-skills\/","title":{"rendered":"Textile Engineering Course Expands Foundational Fiber Skills"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
By Mary Giuffrida<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When second-year textile engineering (TE)<\/a> students walk into TE 201: Fiber Science, they have already built a foundational knowledge of basic polymers. By the time they walk out for the last time at the end of the semester, they will have built the skills and knowledge to turn these polymers into fibers which will later become yarn and fabric. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s processing, structure and properties,\u201d Professor Xiangwu Zhang<\/a> says. \u201cIf you know these three things, you know how to create and use these fibers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you go back more than 100 years there\u2019s only one class of fiber \u2014 natural fiber,\u201d Zhang, who is also the Associate Dean for Research, explains. \u201cBut today we have another class \u2014 man-made fiber.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Students in TE 201 start the course by learning how to make these man-made fibers, such as nylon, acrylic and polyester. They study the chemicals and processes involved, then take this knowledge to their lab where they are able to put it to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe got to go to the lab downstairs and watch them make polypropylene fibers,\u201d Kaylee Andrievk, a sophomore in textile engineering, says. \u201cThat was my favorite lab, watching them make the polypropylene fibers and spinning it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Polypropylene is just one example of a fiber the students study throughout the course. The same thermoplastic is often used in food packaging, plastic furniture, films, automotive parts and medical devices, but it is also commonly turned into a soft and lightweight textile which can be used for upholstery, industrial and manufacturing applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After learning how to create their own man-made fibers, the students dive into the structure of the fibers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019re really getting into the fibers, looking at what they look like under the microscope, how they function, the shape and then we\u2019re drawing them out ourselves,\u201d Molly Barnes, a sophomore in textile engineering, says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The different shapes and morphologies they identify under the microscope and draw tell them important information about the fiber \u2014 how it can be used, under what circumstance it best functions and its basic properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Throughout the semester the students will learn to identify the mechanical, thermal, electrical and frictional properties of different fibers, along with a variety of other properties. These different characteristics help them make decisions about what fibers work best in different situations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet\u2019s say your engineer comes up with this new fiber,\u201d Zhang says. \u201cBased on what the students learned in this class, they will know what kind of properties this fiber will have. Then they\u2019ll know where it can be used, and how to market it and find the right customers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the end of the course, the students will be able to take these three topics and put them into use together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf the students are working for a company that wants to develop a new product, for example a garment that you can wear in space or the deep sea, they will know what the requirements are,\u201d Zhang says. \u201cThey will be able to take the knowledge they\u2019ve learned in this class and make some fibers or designs of fibers that meet those requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n They\u2019ll carry this skill set with them as they move forward, building on the foundation of knowledge they built in TE 201. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAfter this class, they\u2019ll never see a fabric and not know what fibers they have, what properties they have and how they can be used,\u201d Zhang says.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n By Mary Giuffrida<\/p>\n\n\n\nProcessing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Structure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Properties<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Bringing it together<\/h3>\n\n\n\n