Material Properties and Manufacturing Processes

Textile Materials

Textile materials are used in the form of thread to produce fabrics. According to the source of their constituent fibers, they can be natural or synthetic.

Natural Fibers

Raw materials for natural fibers are extracted from plants, animals, or minerals. In most cases, the fibers are cleaned, combed, stretched, dyed, and braided to form threads of different lengths and thicknesses that eventually intersect to produce fabrics.

Synthetic Fibers

Synthetic fibers, such as nylon, polyester, rayon, and lycra, are plastics. They are characterized by their high tensile strength and impermeability. Currently, textile manufacturing often uses a mixture of natural and synthetic fibers.

Stone Materials

Stone materials are naturally occurring and extracted from quarries. They are derived directly from rocks.

Marble and granite are two rocks characterized by their high density, hardness, cold touch, and resistance to environmental conditions and compressive stress.

Slate is a hard, dense, compact, and waterproof material. It is extracted in the form of slabs that, after being cut and pressed, are mainly used to cover roofs and for flooring.

Glass Manufacturing

Glass is a transparent or translucent material that can exhibit various colors and qualities.

Glass is obtained through a mixture of sand, quartz, and soda, which is heated in a very hot oven. The result is a molten glass paste that is subjected to various hot-shaping techniques to achieve the desired form:

• Blow Molding

  The molten glass material enters a mold whose surface reflects the shape of the desired object. After closing the mold, compressed air is injected inside to ensure the material conforms to its walls.

• Float Glass Process

  The molten material is poured into a reservoir of liquid tin. Being less dense, the glass distributes itself on the tin surface, which is then driven by a system of rollers to an annealing oven where it cools.

• Rolling Conformation

  The molten material is passed through an engraved or smooth rolling mill.

Ceramic Materials

Ceramics are derived from raw clay material. The clay models are turned, pressed, or molded, and then undergo a high-temperature firing process.

Depending on the nature and treatment of the raw materials, there are two major groups: thick ceramics and fine ceramics. Unlike fine ceramics, thick ceramics are typically permeable.