The characteristics of a yarn are strongly dependent upon the properties of the fibers used in the yarn, but they are equally dependent upon the structure of the yarn itself. The following factors are especially significant:

the number of fibers in the yarn cross-section

·         fiber disposition

·         fiber alignment

·         position of the fibers in the strand (e.g. long fibers inside, short outside)

·         binding-in (fully or only partly bound-in)

·         overall structure

·         Twist

Number of fibers in the yarn cross-section

This determines, among other things, strength, evenness, handle, insulating capacity, thread-breakage rate, and the spinning limit of the raw material. Accordingly, there are lower limits to the number of fibers in the cross-section, as follows (for normal conditions):