What is the difference between natural, synthetic and blended fibres, and how are fibres made into fabrics?
Fibres and textiles: natural, synthetic and blended fibres, how fibres are made into woven, knitted and non-woven fabrics, their physical and working properties, and typical uses in clothing and products.
A focused answer to Eduqas GCSE Design and Technology (C600) on fibres and textiles: natural, synthetic and blended fibres, woven, knitted and non-woven fabrics, their properties and typical uses.
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What this dot point is asking
Eduqas C600 includes textiles among the six material categories, and fibres and textiles is one of the six in-depth areas. You need the difference between natural, synthetic and blended fibres, how fibres become woven, knitted and non-woven fabrics, their physical and working properties, and typical uses. In the written exam this is tested by explaining the natural/synthetic difference and by justifying a fibre or a blend for a product such as sportswear.
Natural, synthetic and blended fibres
The source drives the properties:
- Natural fibres are usually breathable and absorbent (comfortable next to the skin), biodegradable, but can crease, shrink and dry slowly.
- Synthetic fibres are usually strong, quick-drying, crease-resistant and cheap, but less breathable, can feel clammy, and are not biodegradable (an environmental concern).
- Blends (cotton/polyester is the classic) give the comfort of the natural fibre with the durability and easy care of the synthetic.
From fibre to fabric
Fibres are spun into yarn, then made into fabric in three main ways:
- Woven fabric: yarns interlaced at right angles (warp and weft); strong, stable and hard-wearing, used for shirts, jeans and upholstery.
- Knitted fabric: yarn looped together; stretchy and comfortable, used for jumpers, T-shirts and socks.
- Non-woven fabric: fibres bonded or felted together (not spun into yarn); cheap and often disposable, used for wipes, tea bags and interfacing.
Properties and uses
Choose a textile by weighing comfort (breathability, softness), strength and abrasion resistance, stretch, warmth, ease of care (washable, crease-resistant) and cost. The sustainability story matters: natural fibres are renewable and biodegradable but use land, water and (for cotton) pesticides; synthetics come from finite oil and shed microplastics. Technical textiles (covered separately) add engineered performance such as fire resistance.
Try this
Q1. State one property of cotton that makes it comfortable to wear. [1 mark]
- Cue. It is breathable and absorbent (soft against the skin).
Q2. Name the fabric construction that is stretchy and used for T-shirts and socks. [1 mark]
- Cue. Knitted fabric.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC Eduqas exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Eduqas C600 20192 marksExplain the difference between a natural and a synthetic fibre, giving one example of each.Show worked answer →
A 2-mark question, one mark for the source distinction with examples and one for a property consequence.
A natural fibre comes from a plant or animal (for example cotton from a plant, wool from sheep); a synthetic fibre is manmade from chemicals, usually crude oil (for example polyester, nylon).
A consequence is comfort versus performance: natural fibres are often breathable and absorbent (comfortable to wear) but can crease and shrink, while synthetics are strong, quick-drying and crease-resistant but less breathable.
Markers reward the source distinction with examples (plant/animal versus manmade from oil) and ideally a property point. Naming examples only, with no source distinction, caps the mark at one.
Eduqas C600 20214 marksA sportswear company blends cotton with polyester for a T-shirt. Explain two benefits of blending the two fibres.Show worked answer →
A 4-mark Explain wants two developed benefits of the blend.
Benefit 1, combines the best of both. Cotton is soft, breathable and comfortable against the skin, while polyester is strong, quick-drying and crease-resistant, so a blend gives a shirt that is comfortable to wear yet durable and easy to care for.
Benefit 2, performance and cost. The polyester adds strength and reduces shrinkage and creasing (so the shirt keeps its shape and dries fast after exercise), while the cotton keeps it breathable, and blending can also lower cost compared with pure premium fibre.
Markers reward two developed benefits that connect blending to combining properties (comfort from cotton, durability and quick-dry from polyester). Two bare statements cap the mark at two.
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Sources & how we know this
- WJEC Eduqas GCSE (9-1) Design and Technology (C600) specification — WJEC Eduqas (2017)