Twisted yarn

 

Twisted Yarn: Definition and Core Principles

 

Twisted yarn refers to through Twisting This physical action causes the fiber sliver (either short-fiber tow or long-filament bundle) to twist around its own axis, thereby achieving... Yarn with cohesive force, strength, and structural integrity 。

Core principle: During twisting, the fibers form inclined helical lines, increasing the pressure between them and enhancing their interlocking friction. As a result, the loosely arranged fiber assembly is transformed into a continuous yarn that possesses both strength and elasticity.

 

---

 

The purpose and function of twisting.

 

Imparting basic strength to yarn: This is the primary purpose: By means of friction between fibers, the yarn can withstand external forces.

Enhance yarn elasticity and abrasion resistance: The yarn structure after twisting is tighter and has better resilience.

Affects the fabric's hand feel and style:

High twist: The yarn is stiff and firm, the fabric feels crisp and smooth to the touch, has a glossy surface, and is resistant to pilling; however, its luster may be slightly diminished (e.g., poplin, Bali yarn).

Low twist: The yarn is soft, the fabric feels fluffy and full-bodied, and it offers good warmth—but it tends to pill and fuzz easily (such as knitted fleece sweaters).

Create a fancy effect: By employing special twisting methods—such as high-twist or alternating S/Z twists—specialty yarns with unique appearances and textures, including high-twist yarns, crepe yarns, and slub yarns, can be produced.

 

---

 

Key parameters: twist level and twist direction

 

Twist:

Definition: The number of twists per unit length of yarn (typically expressed as “TPI” per inch or “TPM” per meter).

Category:

Weak-twist yarn: The twist level is lower than usual, resulting in a soft hand feel.

Medium-twist yarn (Standard twist): Balances strength and hand feel.

High-twist yarn The twist level is significantly higher than usual, resulting in a firm and crisp hand feel that easily produces a crinkled effect (such as silk georgette or double crepe).

Super-twisted yarn For special-style fabrics.

Twist direction:

S-twist (right-handed twist): After twisting, the inclination direction of the fibers in the yarn aligns with the middle part of the letter “S.” This is the most common type.

Z-twist (reverse twist): The fiber inclination direction is consistent with the letter “Z”.

Importance: During weaving, the warp and weft threads are typically used. Opposite twist direction To prevent the fabric from becoming skewed and to ensure a soft, even luster on the fabric surface.

 

---

 

Main classifications of twisted yarns (by raw material and process)

 

Short-staple yarn:

Ring spinning: The most traditional and widely used twisting method results in yarns with a tight structure, high strength, and minimal fuzz. It is used for most high-end fabrics.

Air-jet spinning: Twisted with airflow, this yarn is fluffy, abrasion-resistant, and easy to dye; however, its strength is slightly lower than that of ring-spun yarn. It’s commonly used for denim fabrics and knitted underwear.

Siro spinning: Similar to combining and twisting two loosely spun coarse yarns, it has very few fiber ends, excellent abrasion resistance, and a twisted-strand texture.

 

Twisting of filament yarn:

Twisting: Multiple untwisted or low-twist filaments (or filaments combined with short fibers) are combined and then twisted together to increase strength, uniformity, or create special effects.

Twisted elastic filament: Twisting spandex-covered yarn or other elastic filaments helps control their elasticity and improve weaving performance.

 

Thread:

Definition: It is produced by twisting two or more single yarns together.

Advantages: Higher strength, more uniform yarn quality, better abrasion resistance, a crisp and firm hand feel, and less likely to twist or knot.

Usage: High-end shirts, suit fabrics, sewing threads, cords, and laces, etc.

 

Twisted Yarn vs. Network Yarn: The Core Difference

 

Feature dimension	Twisted yarn	Mesh fabric
Core operating principle	Mechanical torsion causing the fibers to spiral and wrap around each other.	High-pressure airflow Impact, causing the monofilament. Local entanglement 。
Primary target users	Short fiber (cotton, wool, linen, polyester staple fiber, etc.) and Filament 。	Mainly Chemical fiber filament 。
Conjugation method	A holistic, continuous twist structure.	Discrete, irregular network points.
Handfeel style	Wide adjustable range, from extremely soft to extremely stiff.	Relatively Harder and smoother It has a slight grainy texture.
The purpose of processing filament yarn	Increase strength, elasticity, or create special textures (such as crepe).	Solve the looseness issue and achieve sizing-free weaving. and improve the feel.
Environmental friendliness	Short-staple yarn itself does not require sizing, but long filaments may still need sizing after twisting.	Core Advantages One: Eliminating the sizing/degumming process in filament weaving makes it more environmentally friendly.
Typical product	All-cotton shirt, wool sweater, genuine silk crepe, denim.	Polyester wool-like suit fabric, down jacket fabric, and high-end polyester shirt fabric.

 

Application fields

 

Twisted yarn is an absolute cornerstone of the textile industry and is virtually ubiquitous:

Woven fabric: For the vast majority of woven fabrics, both warp and weft yarns require twisted yarns to ensure smooth weaving and fabric strength.

Knitted fabric: Although some knitting yarns have a lower twist (due to high demands for softness), they still require twisting to ensure their weaveability.

Specialty and Functional Fabrics: Such as high-strength industrial fabrics, fire-retardant and flame-resistant textiles, and medical textiles.

Home textiles and industrial textiles: Bedding, curtains, canvas, conveyor belts, and more.

 

Summary

 

Twisted yarn is through Mechanical twisting The fundamental yarn form that enables fiber cohesion is the cornerstone of the textile industry. And... Mesh fabric It is for synthetic filament yarn. Physical entanglement Solutions represent crucial technologies for modern, efficient, and environmentally friendly production. These two approaches are not mutually exclusive; rather, they should be selected and combined based on the raw materials, equipment, and requirements of the final product. For example, The filament yarn after weaving can be further twisted. to give it a distinctive, tightly twisted texture and superior quality.