Fiber | Textile fiber | Types of fiber

Fiber, Textile Fiber

Fiber: It is defined as one of the delicate, hair portions of the tissues of a plant or animal or other substances that are very small in diameter in relation to their length. A fiber is a material which is several hundred times as long as it’s thick. Fiber is a long, thin strand or thread of material. Fabric is a cloth material made by weaving or knitting threads together. On the other word, Fiber is a hair like strand of material. It is a substance that is extremely long in relation to its width, at least 100 times longer than it is wide. A fiber is the smallest visible unit of any textile product. Fibers are flexible and may be spun into yarn and made into fabrics.

Textile fiber: Textile fiber has some characteristics which differ between fibers to textile fiber. Textile fiber can be spun into a yarn or made into a fabric by various methods including weaving, knitting, and braiding, felting, and twisting. The essential requirements for fibers to be spun into yarn include a length of at least 5 millimeters, flexibility, cohesiveness, and sufficient strength. Other important properties include elasticity, fineness, uniformity, durability, and luster. Banana fiber is one kind of fiber but it is not a textile fiber. So we can say that all fiber are not textile fiber.

Types of fiber: Generally there are two types of fiber.

1.  Natural fiber
2.  Man-made fiber

Natural Fiber: Natural fibers are those which are produced by plants, animals, and geological processes. They can be classified according to their origin.

1. Animal (silk fiber and wool fiber)
2. Mineral (glass fiber)
3. Vegetable origin (cotton fiber, flax fiber, jute fiber, and ramie fiber)

Man-made Fiber: It is also known as Manufactured fiber. Synthetic or man-made fibers generally come from synthetic materials such as petrochemicals. But some types of synthetic fibers are manufactured from natural cellulose; including rayon, modal, etc. A class name for various genera of fibers produced from fiber-forming substances which may be:

1. Polymers synthesized from chemical compounds, e.g., acrylic fiber, nylon-fiber, polyester fiber, polyethylene fiber, polyurethane fiber, and polyvinyl fibers
2. Modified or transformed natural polymers, e.g., alginic and cellulose-based fibers such as acetates fiber and rayons fiber
3. Minerals, e.g., glasses. The term manufactured usually refers to all chemically produced fibers to distinguish them from the truly natural fibers such as cotton, wool, silk, flax, etc.e.g: Glass fiber

Synthetic fibers are made entirely from chemicals. Synthetic fibers are usually stronger than either natural or regenerated fibers. Synthetic fibers and the regenerated acetate fiber are thermoplastic; they are softened by heat. Therefore manufacturers can shape these fibers at high temperatures, adding such features as pleats and creases. Synthetic fibers will melt if touched with too hot an iron. The most widely used kinds of synthetic fibers are nylon (polyamide), polyester, acrylic, and olefin.

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