1. Fibers & Textiles
Natural or Synthetic?

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

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

4. 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.

5. 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.

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

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

8. 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.