Textile Chemist Job Description
A textile chemist studies the characteristics of fibers and filaments---natural and synthetic---to learn how they react to different conditions. This is a very specialized area of chemical research that, according to the American Chemical Society (ACS), may incorporate or work closely with other disciplines, such as fiber chemistry, polymer chemistry and materials science.
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Responsibilities
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Working at the atomic and molecular level, textile chemists seek to understand the strengths and weaknesses of various textile materials and how best to utilize them in practical applications. In some cases, their research may lead them to urge against the use of a particular fiber because its weaknesses outweigh its strengths. Generally speaking, textile chemistry focuses on business- and product-oriented goals.
Job Opportunities
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Most textile chemists work for chemical companies that manufacture the various polymers that are made into synthetic fibers for the textile industry. Other job openings may exist within large textile or apparel companies that conduct their own materials research, as well as companies involved in the dyeing and finishing of materials used in the production of carpets, yarns, fibers and fabrics.
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Qualitative and Educational Requirements
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An ideal candidate for the field of textile chemistry, according to the ACS, is someone "interested in the intersection between chemistry and the kind of engineering that goes into textile marketing." Most chemists in this field are trained first as polymer chemists, although chemistry departments at some large colleges and universities have begun to offer degree programs in textile chemistry. Important areas of study for would-be textile chemists include analytical, colloid and organic chemistry.
Job Outlook
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The ACS reports that the job outlook for textile chemists is mixed in the United States but much more promising at the international level. The organization says that an area of growth for those interested in working as textile chemists is materials science, which seems to be expanding robustly. Positions with fabric dyeing and finishing companies, according to the ACS, are much more difficult to find these days, as many such companies have moved their operations out of the United States.
Earnings
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North Carolina State University indicates that the median annual earnings of graduates with a bachelor's degree in polymer or color chemistry are $47,000, ranging from a low of $36,000 to a high of $52,000. Textile chemists with advanced degrees, particularly those working in materials science, can expect to earn more.
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