Acetate - also refers to
cellulose acetate. Cellulose acetate or acetate rayon fiber is a synthetic
fiber based on cotton or tree pulp cellulose. It is very economical
petro-based fiber. Invented by Swiss brothers, Doctors Camille and Henri
Dreyfus in Basel, Switzerland. The first commercial acetate filament was
spun in the United States in 1924 and trademarked as Celanese.
Acrylic - a synthetic polymer fiber containing at least 85%
acrylonitrile.
Angora rabbit - a domestic rabbit variety, believed to be originated
in Turkey along with Angora cat and Angora goat, bred for its long, soft,
usually white hair. Fiber obtained from Angora rabbit is more warm than wool
and is durable.
Camel hair - a soft and fine hair of a camel or a substitute for it.
A soft, heavy-weight, usually light tan cloth is made from the camel hair.
Cashmere - a hair fiber obtained from the fine, downy wool found
beneath the outer hair of the Cashmere goat. It is extremely warm and is
constructed into fine or thick yarns, and light-weight to heavy-weight
fabrics. Used as men's and women's coats, jackets and blazers, skirts,
hosiery, sweaters, gloves, scarves, mufflers, caps and robes.
Cellulose - a common material of plant cell walls first noted in
1838. Chemically, it is a complex carbohydrate composed of glucose units.
Products like paper, textiles (rayon), pharmaceuticals, and smokeless
gunpowders are manufactured from it.
Coir - a coarse fiber obtained from the husk, the fibrous outer
shell of a coconut, used chiefly in making rope and matting.
Cotton - a soft fiber obtained from the shrubby plants of the genus
Gossypium (cotton plant). It is grown around the seeds of the plant. The
fiber is spun into thread for making soft and breathable textile.
Flax - a soft, lustrous and flexible fiber obtained from the slender
stems of a widely cultivated plant, Linum usitatissimum. The higher grade of
flax fiber is used to make linen fabrics like damasks, lace and sheeting.
Twine and rope is produced from the coarser grade.
Hemp - a tough, coarse fiber obtained from cannabis plant. It is
strong, durable and unaffected by water. Hemp fiber is used in making rope,
sack, carpet, nets and webbing.
Jute - a long, soft, shiny fiber which are spun into coarse and
strong threads. It is obtained from a jute plant belonging to the genus
Corchorus in the basswood family, Tiliaceae. It is mainly used to make gunny
sacks and gunny cloth.
Kevlar - a synthetic fiber five times stronger than steel and highly
heat resistant, decomposes above 400 °C. It is mainly used for
bulletproof vests, extreme sports equipments, and composite aircraft
contruction. It replaces asbestos, steel cords in car tires and in fire
suits. Also known as Twaron and poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide.
Linen - it is made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is
mainly used for cloth, canvases, sails, tents, and paper.
Lycra - a fiber that is capable of stretching up to 500% and then
bounce back. It is also a trademark for Invista, for a synthetic fabric of
the same elasticity property. It is a sort of generically known "spandex".
Lyocell - a fiber obtained from wood pulp cellulose. The Federal
Trade Commission classifies it as a sub-category of rayon. Mainly used in
making clothes, like jeans, trousers and coats.
Metallic fibers - a fiber either composed of meta, or fibers of
other materials having a metal coating. Mainly used for decoration and the
reduction of static electricity.
Modacrylic - a textile medium-weight fiber containing 35-85%
acrylonitrile with fair strength and abrasion resistance. Also known as
modified acrylic, it has good drape and is highly resistant to sunlight.
Mainly used as fur-like fabrics, wigs, and upholstery.
Mohair - long silky hair of Angora goad. The fabric obtained is a
silk-like and is durable, light and warm.
Nylon - a fiber made from any of numerous strong and tough elastic
synthetic polyamide materials. It is used in making synthetic fabrics. A
very famous end use is women's stockings.
Olefin - an alkene hydrocarbon. The term obtained from olefiant
gas, an early name for ethylene which mean "oil-forming".
Polyester - a fiber made a category of polymer whose monomer
contains the ester functional group. The fabrics made out of it is light,
strong, weather-resistant and wrinkle-resistant.
Rayon - a transparent fiber obtained from processed cellulose. It
was originally named artificial silk or wood silk as it closely resembled
silk. It absorbs water, giving more comfort to wear as a clothing textile.
Silk - a natural, fine, lustrous fiber obtained from the cocoon of
the silkworms larva through a process called sericulture.
Spandex - a synthetic fiber made from polymer containing
polyurethan. Also known as elastane. It is strong and more durable than
rubber. It is exceptionally elastic.
Synthetic fibers - fibers that are the result of extensive research
by scientists to increase and improve the supply of natural fibers that have
been used in making cloth. Few examples of synthetic fibers are rayon,
acetate, nylon, modacrylic, olefin, acrylic and polyester.
Viscose - an organic liquid used to make rayon, obtained from
cellulose of wood or cotton fibers. It is treated with sodium hydroxide and
then mixed with carbon disulphide forming cellulose xanthate. This is
dissolved in more sodium hydroxide resulting in viscose to be extruded
through a slit to make cellophane, or through a spinneret to make viscose
rayon.
Wool - a fiber obtained from the hair of domesticated animals, like
sheep, goat, alpaca.
