﻿SYNTHETIC 
  TEXTILE 
  FIBERS 
  — 
  MAUERSBERGER 
  157 
  

  

  are 
  made 
  five 
  times 
  as 
  fast 
  as 
  on 
  the 
  original 
  French 
  machine, 
  a 
  tribute 
  

   to 
  American 
  engineering 
  practice 
  and 
  genius. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  possible 
  by 
  this 
  process 
  to 
  apply 
  as 
  few 
  coatings 
  as 
  6 
  or 
  as 
  many 
  

   as 
  24, 
  depending 
  on 
  the 
  ultimate 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  thread. 
  It 
  is 
  possible, 
  for 
  

   instance, 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  plastic-coated 
  yarn 
  as 
  fine 
  as 
  0.008 
  inch 
  in 
  diameter 
  

   and 
  up 
  to 
  approximately 
  0.09 
  inch 
  in 
  diameter. 
  The 
  dimension 
  of 
  

   the 
  uncoated 
  yarn 
  could 
  be 
  almost 
  anything 
  within 
  this 
  range. 
  It 
  is 
  

   possible 
  to 
  get 
  an 
  absolutely 
  round 
  thread 
  by 
  using 
  graduated 
  round 
  

   disks. 
  It 
  is 
  also 
  possible 
  to 
  obtain 
  different 
  shapes 
  such 
  as 
  elliptical, 
  

   triangular, 
  or 
  square 
  threads 
  by 
  using 
  dies 
  shaped 
  to 
  these 
  forms. 
  The 
  

   process 
  also 
  envisions 
  the 
  application 
  of 
  plastic 
  coatings 
  and 
  impreg- 
  

   nations 
  to 
  flat 
  tapes, 
  bands, 
  cords, 
  and 
  even 
  wires. 
  

  

  In 
  addition 
  to 
  shaping 
  the 
  coating, 
  the 
  yarns 
  can 
  be 
  made 
  in 
  various 
  

   finishes. 
  They 
  can 
  be 
  made 
  stiff 
  or 
  soft, 
  or 
  any 
  graduation 
  in 
  between. 
  

   They 
  can 
  be 
  made 
  transparent, 
  translucent, 
  or 
  opaque, 
  smooth 
  or 
  rough, 
  

   by 
  changing 
  the 
  plastic 
  coating. 
  Color 
  ranges 
  take 
  in 
  the 
  entire 
  scope 
  

   of 
  pigments 
  available, 
  the 
  current 
  color 
  line 
  consisting 
  of 
  more 
  than 
  

   120 
  different 
  shades. 
  Such 
  plastic-coated 
  yarns 
  can 
  be 
  made 
  com- 
  

   pletely 
  waterproof, 
  moisture-resistant, 
  verminproof, 
  weatherproof, 
  

   rotproof, 
  flameproof, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  resistant 
  to 
  mild 
  acids, 
  perspiration, 
  

   oil, 
  grease, 
  gasoline, 
  and 
  even 
  to 
  withstand 
  extremes 
  of 
  temperatures 
  

   as 
  in 
  tropical 
  or 
  Arctic 
  climates. 
  

  

  Such 
  plastic-coated 
  yarns 
  can 
  be 
  and 
  have 
  been 
  woven, 
  knitted, 
  

   braided, 
  twisted, 
  plaited, 
  or 
  crocheted 
  into 
  many 
  types 
  of 
  sheer 
  and 
  

   dress 
  materials, 
  drapery, 
  auto 
  upholstery, 
  slip 
  covers, 
  curtains, 
  hand- 
  

   bags, 
  and 
  shoe 
  fabrics. 
  A 
  notable 
  contribution 
  to 
  the 
  war 
  effort 
  was 
  

   made 
  by 
  developing 
  a 
  special 
  type 
  of 
  coated 
  yarn 
  as 
  a 
  complete 
  sub- 
  

   stitute 
  for 
  steel 
  and 
  copper 
  wire 
  in 
  the 
  weaving 
  of 
  insect 
  and 
  fly 
  screens. 
  

   Through 
  intensive 
  research 
  a 
  Plexon 
  wire 
  yarn 
  was 
  perfected, 
  which 
  

   used 
  noncritical 
  materials 
  both 
  in 
  the 
  support 
  (a 
  cotton 
  yarn) 
  and 
  in 
  

   the 
  chemical 
  formulation 
  of 
  the 
  coating. 
  A 
  stiff, 
  wirelike 
  coated 
  

   cotton 
  yarn 
  was 
  introduced 
  to 
  the 
  insect-screen 
  industry, 
  woven 
  on 
  

   ordinary 
  wire 
  looms 
  without 
  many 
  change-overs 
  or 
  adjustments. 
  The 
  

   resultant 
  insect 
  screen 
  was 
  tested 
  by 
  the 
  National 
  Bureau 
  of 
  Standards 
  

   and 
  found 
  completely 
  satisfactory. 
  These 
  screens 
  will 
  not 
  rust, 
  can 
  

   withstand 
  high 
  tropical 
  temperatures, 
  and 
  require 
  no 
  painting, 
  lac- 
  

   quering, 
  or 
  brushing, 
  and 
  are 
  in 
  actual 
  use 
  now. 
  

  

  While 
  there 
  are 
  several 
  other 
  developments, 
  most 
  of 
  these 
  are 
  in 
  the 
  

   formative 
  or 
  experimental 
  stages, 
  and 
  they 
  may 
  not 
  bear 
  fruit 
  until 
  

   sometime 
  after 
  the 
  war. 
  However, 
  they 
  bear 
  watching. 
  It 
  may 
  be 
  

   pointed 
  out 
  here 
  that 
  America 
  at 
  this 
  rate 
  need 
  never 
  again 
  experience 
  

   a 
  shortage 
  of 
  textile 
  fibers 
  will 
  have 
  a 
  greater 
  diversification 
  of 
  

   fibers 
  for 
  every 
  purpose, 
  demand, 
  or 
  use 
  after 
  this 
  war. 
  

  

  