Question

The following has excellent elastic recovery

• A. Cotton
• B. Polyster
• C. Nylon
• D. Viscose

Hint:

• Elastic Recovery Ability of a material to return to its original dimensions after deformation.
• Nylon Exhibits excellent elastic recovery, making it ideal for hosiery, activewear.
• Polyester Has good elastic recovery, contributing to wrinkle resistance. Generally better than natural cellulosic fibers.
• Cotton \& Viscose (Cellulosic) Have poor elastic recovery due to their molecular structure (hydrogen bonding, less chain mobility for recovery).
• The order of elastic recovery (from best to worst among these options) is generally: Nylon>Polyester>Cotton $\approx$ Viscose.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

In textile engineering, different fibers exhibit varying degrees of elastic recovery, which is the ability of a fiber to return to its original shape after being stretched. Among the given options, let's examine the properties that contribute to their elastic recovery:

1. Cotton: Cotton fibers have good absorbency and comfort but lack significant elasticity. They tend to wrinkle and maintain deformations, indicating poor elastic recovery.
2. Polyester: Polyester fibers are known for their durability and resistance to wrinkling and shrinking. They possess moderate elastic recovery due to their inherent molecular structure, which gives them resilience.
3. Nylon: Nylon fibers have excellent elastic recovery, attributed to their synthetic polymer structure. This makes them highly flexible and capable of returning to their original form after deformation, which is ideal for applications requiring high elasticity.
4. Viscose: Viscose fibers, derived from regenerated cellulose, lack significant elastic properties. They are prone to losing form easily and do not recover well after stretching.

Given these properties, Nylon is the fiber that exhibits excellent elastic recovery, making it the correct answer.