Fibers Analysis Notes

Part 1:
What is a fiber?

● A fiber is the smallest unit of a textile material that has a length

many times greater than its diameter.

● A fiber can be spun with other fibers to form a yarn that can be

woven or knitted to form a fabric.

● Fibers can be categorized as one of two types:

○ Natural—derived entirely from plant or animal sources.

○ Manufactured—made from long chains of molecules called

polymers

Plant–Derived Fibers

● Flax – oldest cultivated (linen)

● Cotton – most prevalent

● Hemp – source of 1st paper

● Bamboo – cellulose fiber

Animal–Derived Fibers

● Silk – derived from silkworm or spider

● Sinew – animal tendon

● Wool – sheep

Animal–Derived Fibers

● Other – cashmere (goat), mohair (goat),

● angora (rabbit), alpaca, camel, and qiviut (muskox)

● Fur – whole pelt

Manufactured Fibers

●

More than half of all fibers used in the production of textile
materials are man-made.

●

Man-made fibers may originate from natural materials such as
cotton or wood (artificial); others originate from chemicals
(synthetic).

●

Rayon –1st artificial fiber from wood

●

Acetate – artificial from wood (satin)

●

Nylon –1st synthetic fiber

●

Acrylic – synthetic wool

●

Polyester – most common synthetic

●

Specialty fibers – Kevlar, Spandex

Natural vs. Synthetic

​Copy the table into your notes. Then use the video on the next slide to fill in the table.