A blend is a mixture of two or more

fiber Fiber (spelled fibre in British English; from ) is a natural or artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often inco ...

s. In yarn spinning, different compositions, lengths, diameters, or colors may be combined to create a blend. Blended textiles are fabrics or

yarn Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, used in sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, ropemaking, and the production of textiles. '' Thread'' is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern ...

s produced with a combination of two or more types of different

fibers Fiber (spelled fibre in British English; from ) is a natural or artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often inco ...

, or yarns to obtain desired traits and

aesthetics Aesthetics (also spelled esthetics) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of beauty and taste (sociology), taste, which in a broad sense incorporates the philosophy of art.Slater, B. H.Aesthetics ''Internet Encyclopedia of Ph ...

. Blending is possible at various stages of textile manufacturing. The term, ''blend'', refers to spun fibers or a fabric composed of such fibers. There are several synonymous terms: a combination yarn is made up of two strands of different fibers twisted together to form a ply; a mixture or mixed cloth refers to blended cloths in which different types of yarns are used in warp and weft sides. Union or union fabric was a 19th century term for a blended fabric. It is no longer used.

History

Blending in textiles is an old practice which became more widespread after around 1980. Recognizing the growing popularity of blends, the Wool Bureau introduced the "Wool blend" mark in 1970 for blends containing a high percentage of wool. Viyella was the first

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...

ed blended textile, and it is the oldest blended flannel structure. It features a twill weave of wool and cotton, and due to the cotton content, it can be washed more easily than an all-wool flannel. *An admixture of

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

and

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

from Hindustan called Mashru is one of the earliest forms of "mixed cloth,". In the 12th century A.D., the industry was under the influence of Muslims. While Muslim men were not allowed to wear pure silk due to a religious admonition, a silk-and-cotton blend they made was permitted. It was known as "Mashru." Mashru was the name given to a group of mixed fabrics. Mashru is an Arabic word that literally means "permitted." * Siamoise was a 17th-century cotton and linen material.

Fibers for blends

Spun fibers

Any fiber has the potential to contribute to a blended fabric depending upon the intended use. Continuous testing is carried out to determine the best fiber blends and the percentages that are best suited to specific uses. Polyester is the most frequently used synthetic fibre, it has earned the name, "workhorse" fiber of the industry. The staple form of the Polyester fibers has been referred as "big mixer" because of its compatibility in blending. Polyester imparts many properties without affecting the properties of other fibers.

Bicomponent fibers

Bicomponent fiber are the fibers produced by mixing two different

polymer A polymer () is a chemical substance, substance or material that consists of very large molecules, or macromolecules, that are constituted by many repeat unit, repeating subunits derived from one or more species of monomers. Due to their br ...

s to achieve the properties of both fibers. For example, Polyester and Nylon may be mixed together in

extrusion Extrusion is a process used to create objects of a fixed cross section (geometry), cross-sectional profile by pushing material through a Die (manufacturing), die of the desired cross-section. Its two main advantages over other manufacturing pro ...

. The polymers in the bicomponent may have entirely different physical and chemical properties.

Advantages

Products with blends, mixtures, and combinations may have properties that differ from those obtained with a single fiber. Blending may add value and may reduce the cost of the product. For example,

is most often mixed with other fibers, particularly synthetics. This blending can be used to make cotton-like fabrics with improved functionality such as wrinkle resistance and dimensional stability. The addition of spandex to cotton improves the stretch of the product.

Spinning advantages

Uniformity

Blending is also used to describe the process of combining small amounts of the same fibers from various lots to produce a uniform result. The process is known as "blending" in spinning. The blending of similar kinds of fibers or different fibers is possible at various stages of yarn spinning, such as the blow room, draw frame, and roving.

Spinning weak fibers

Blending helps in spinning those fibers which are weak and difficult to spin. For example, milkweed fibers lack strength and cohesion.

Core spun yarns

In core spun yarns; a filament yarn is wrapped with staple fibers. Spandex filament may be wrapped with cotton fibers to form a core spun yarn. These yarns are called "composite yarns."

Functional advantages

Comfort

Blends help in reducing the discomfort of certain synthetic clothing. Synthetic fibers, such as polyester, have a moisture regain rate of only 0.4'0.8 percent. Poor absorbency reduces the comfort of clothing that comes into direct contact with the skin. Blending polyester with absorbent fibers such as cotton improves the wearing comfort. Polyester-cotton blended clothing is more comfortable to wear in humid climates than polyester alone. A heavy pair of jeans made of 100% cotton that weigh can be cut down to , without compromising durability, by changing the composition to a blend of polyester 50% with cotton or nylon 20%.

Aesthetic advantages

Blends help to create a variety of aesthetic effects.:

Plated fabrics

Blending is also used to create many

weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...

and

knitting Knitting is a method for production of textile Knitted fabric, fabrics by interlacing yarn loops with loops of the same or other yarns. It is used to create many types of garments. Knitting may be done Hand knitting, by hand or Knitting machi ...

structures, such as plated fabrics.

Burnt out patterns

Devoré is a pattern-making technique that involves dissolving cellulosic fibers in

acid An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e. Hydron, hydrogen cation, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory, Brønsted–Lowry acid, or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis ...

s. Typically, a polyester-cotton blend is used for this purpose.

Heather or melange fabrics

''Heather'' is a term used to describe a color effect created by combining two or more different colored fibers or yarns in a fabric. Grey melange,

marl Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, Clay minerals, clays, and silt. When Lithification, hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae. M ...

and gaspe are examples of blending fibers and yarns.

= Cross-dyed fabrics

= Blends are also used for cross-dyed fabrics. When dyeing fabric with two different classes of dyes in a blend, it is possible to dye both parts in completely different colors. It is called "cross-dyeing."

Economical products

Besides contributing to comfort and functionality, blends can produce economical materials. * Camel hair can be blended with

sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...

wool Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...

. Camel hair provides better

thermal insulation Thermal insulation is the reduction of heat transfer (i.e., the transfer of thermal energy between objects of differing temperature) between objects in thermal contact or in range of radiative influence. Thermal insulation can be achieved with s ...

per weight, and it is finer and more expensive than cotton, so a camelhair-sheepwool blend produces a lighter and warmer blend than sheepwool alone. *

Cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

is frequently blended with

polyester Polyester is a category of polymers that contain one or two ester linkages in every repeat unit of their main chain. As a specific material, it most commonly refers to a type called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyesters include some natura ...

; the blend is more economical than a 100% cotton product. * Cashmere (an expensive wool) and sheep wool are sometimes blended together to make the product cost-effective.

Nonwoven fabric advantages

Nonwoven fabric Nonwoven fabric or non-woven fabric is a fabric-like material made from staple fibre (short) and long fibres (continuous long), bonded together by chemical, mechanical, heat or solvent treatment. The term is used in the textile manufacturing in ...

s of various types can be manufactured using a blending process. A polyester and viscose blend is used in

baby wipes A wet wipe, also known as a wet towel, wet one, moist towelette, disposable wipe, disinfecting wipe, or a baby wipe (in specific circumstances) is a small to medium-sized moistened piece of plastic or cloth that either comes folded and individu ...

. For different items, distinct weight ratios are used.

References

{{wiktionary, Blend, blend, blended, blending Textiles Textile techniques