Fibers & Textiles Natural or Synthetic?

Fibers & Textiles Fiber - the smallest indivisible unit of a textile. Textile - flexible, flat material made by interlacing yarns or threads.

Fiber Classification Natural Fibers – come from animals, plants & minerals that are mined from the ground.

Natural Fibers Animal Fibers – provide fibers from 3 sources: hair, fur & webbing. All animal fibers are made of proteins. Silk is made from the cocoon part of the silk moth.

Natural Fibers Plant Fibers – grouped according to the part of the plant they come from. All plant fibers are made of cellulose. Include: seed fibers, fruit fibers, stem fibers & leaf fibers. Flax is the fiber used to make linen.

Plant Fibers Seed Fibers – come from the seed of a plant Cotton - from seed hairs, looks like a flattened, twisted ribbon. A cotton fiber

Plant Fibers Stem Fibers – come from the stem of a plant. Grow as bundles. Common examples include: jute, flax & hemp (seen at right).

Natural Fibers Mineral Fibers – neither proteins nor cellulose. Fiberglass – a fiber form of glass. Asbestos – naturally occurring mineral. Asbestos as seen with a scanning electron microscope.