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Flying Shuttle
The shuttle was thrown, or passed, through the threads by hand, and wide fabrics required two weavers seated side by side passing the shuttle between them. -
Spinning Jenny
A machine for spinning with more than one spindle at a time. -
Spinning Frame
The first textile machine designed to be powered by water. -
Cotton Gin
A machine for separating cotton from its seeds. -
Jacquard Loom
An apparatus with perforated cards, fitted to a loom to facilitate the weaving of figured and brocaded fabrics. -
Ring Spinning
The fibre material is supplied to the ring-spinning machine in the form of roving. The fibre mass of the roving is reduced by a drafting unit. The twist inserted moves backwards and reaches the fibres leaving the drafting unit. -
Mauveine
Used to dye silk and other textiles. -
Singer Sewing Machine
A sewing machine. -
Cellulose Acetate
Cellulose acetate is used as a film base in photography, as a component in some coatings, and as a frame material for eyeglasses; it is also used as a synthetic fibre in the manufacture of cigarette filters and playing cards. -
Hilaire de Chardonnet
He was the first to create patent artificial silk but unfortunately his material was extremely flammable, and was subsequently replaced with other, more stable materials. -
Sanforisation
A treatment process, mainly applied to cotton fabrics and textiles made from natural or chemical fibres. -
Nylon
A tough, lightweight, elastic synthetic polymer with a protein-like chemical structure, able to be produced as filaments, sheets, or moulded objects. -
Polyester
Fibres spun together with natural fibres to produce a cloth with blended properties. -
Microfibre
Synthetic fibre finer than one denier or decitex/thread, having a diameter of less than ten micrometres. This is smaller than the diameter of a strand of silk (which is approximately one denier), which is itself about 1/5 the diameter of a human hair. -
Lyocell
Eco friendly fabric that represents a milestone in the development of environmentally sustainable textiles.
