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Acrylic fiber is the core raw material of cashmere-like fibers. The acrylonitrile monomer in its chemical structure gives the fiber thermal stability and chemical inertness. In the imitation process, the linear density and cross-sectional morphology of the fiber become key control parameters: by refining the conventional 3.33dtex fiber to less than 1.5dtex, the number of fiber roots per unit cross-sectional area can be significantly increased, thereby enhancing the friction coefficient and cohesion between the fibers, and providing the fabric with the fluffy touch unique to natural cashmere.
Chemical modification technology has further expanded the imitation boundaries of acrylic. The MSC-1 type breaking machine developed by COGNETEX in Italy achieves directional stretching and curling control of the fiber by regulating the negative draft coefficient of the combing box of the needle combing machine and the winding pressure of the breaking machine. This process forms a micron-level groove structure on the fiber surface, which not only enhances the moisture absorption and moisture dissipation properties of the fiber, but also gives the fabric a glossy texture similar to natural cashmere through the light scattering effect.
The production of fine-denier acrylic fiber bundles requires a dual process of breaking and blending. The breaking method uses the MSC-1 breaking machine to tear the filament bundle into short fibers, and with the directional combing of the SMC400 re-cutting needle combing machine, it can effectively eliminate the ultra-long fibers and short hair content in the fibers. The blending method mixes fibers of different linear densities in proportion, and forms a uniform surface ball structure on the SC400 ball-forming needle combing machine, providing an ideal raw material form for subsequent spinning.
The spinning process adopts a composite process combining ring spinning and vortex spinning. The former ensures the uniformity of the yarn, and the latter forms a core-spun structure through high-speed airflow, so that the yarn has both high strength and softness. When weaving, a double needle bed warp knitting machine is used. Through the weft insertion and yarn filling organization, the fiber distribution on the front and back sides is differentiated. The fine-denier acrylic fiber is exposed on the front to present a smooth texture, and the coarse-denier fiber is retained on the back to enhance the thickness of the fabric.
The finishing process is the key link in the imitation effect. Steam setting uses high temperature and high pressure environment to make the fiber produce permanent curls, and combined with pulping treatment with silicone softener, it can give the fabric a smooth feel similar to natural cashmere. The rolling ball process uses hot air circulation to melt and bond the ends of the fibers, forming a spherical structure with a diameter of 0.5-1.5mm, which significantly improves the fluffiness and three-dimensional sense of the fabric.
The friction coefficient of imitation cashmere fabrics has been tested to be 0.32-0.38, close to the 0.28-0.35 range of natural cashmere. Its unique "hard and soft" characteristics are derived from the matching of the elastic recovery rate and bending stiffness of the fiber: under a light load of 0.5cN/dtex, the bending length of the fabric can be controlled at 3.2-3.8cm, which not only maintains the drape of cashmere, but also avoids the stiff touch of chemical fiber fabrics.
Through double-sided heterogeneous weaving technology, imitation cashmere fabrics can achieve the visual effect of "smooth surface and suede bottom layer". The fiber density on the front side reaches 80-100/mm², forming a scaly luster similar to cashmere; the fiber density on the back side is reduced to 40-60/mm², and the ball structure formed by the ball rolling process makes the fabric present the unique "foggy texture" of natural cashmere under backlight.
The warmth retention rate of cashmere-like fabrics has been measured to be 0.42-0.48W/(m·K), which is slightly lower than the 0.35-0.40W/(m·K) of natural cashmere, but through the optimization of hollow fiber filling technology and post-finishing process, its warmth retention performance has approached the lightweight standard of down jackets. At the same time, the fabric's anti-pilling performance reaches level 3-4 (ISO 12945-2 standard), and the anti-wrinkle recovery angle can reach more than 280°, which is significantly better than traditional chemical fiber fabrics.
