Natural fiber

Description

A class of fibers that includes all non-synthetic fibers. Natural fibers are generally separated into three groups based on origin (with some examples):

1) plant fiber: Cotton, Linen, Jute, Abaca.

2) animal fiber: Wool, Silk, Fur.

3) Mineral fiber: Asbestos, graphite, quartz.

Wool and dyed flax, have been found in prehistoric caves indicating their early usage. And many natural fibers are still in wide use because they have many advantages over Synthetic fibers, such as lower density, better thermal insulation, and reduced skin irritation. Natural fibers are good water absorbents and can be found in various textures. Cotton fibers made from the cotton plant, for example, produce fabrics that are light in weight, soft in texture, and which can be made in various sizes and colors.

Properties of Natural Fibers

Fiber	Type	Source	Microscopic characteristics	Fber length	Fiber width (microns)	Strength/flexibility	Appearance	Other characteristics (conductivity, density, moisture)	Deterioration	Use
alpaca	animal	Lama pacos	overlapping scales	8 cm (undercoat)		elastic and strong	soft, lustrous; usually white but may be black or brown			textiles, linings
camel	animal	Camelus bactrianus	overlapping scales; cross section is circular to oval; medulla is narrow and continuous.	30 cm (outer hairs); 2.5-15 cm (undercoat)		strong; Tensile strength = 1.78 g/d ; elongation = 39-40%	lightweight, fine, and soft; tan or brown	poor heat conductor; moisture regain=13%		sweaters, scarves, coats, blankets, brushes
cashmere	animal	Capra hireus	overlapping scales (5-7 per 100 mincrons)	5.0-12.5 cm (outer); 2.5-9.0 cm (undercoat)	15		soft and fine		damaged by alkalis	shawls, fabrics, dreses, sweaters
horsehair	animal	family Equidae	overlapping scales	mane: 7.5-20 cm; tail: 20-90 cm	mane: 50-150; tail 75-280	stiff and elastic; cannot be spun				upholstery, blankets, stuffing
llama	animal	Lama glama	overlapping scales; medulla is narrow and often pigmented. Cross section is circular to ovoid	30 cm (undercoat)			smooth, long, fine texture			coats, dresses
mohair	animal	Capra angorensis	overlapping scales (about 5 per 100 microns); circular cross scetion; medulla is normally invisible	250-500 mm		resilient, twice as strong as wool; elongation = 30%	soft, white, silky	resists water; moisture regain=13%	resistant to soiling; susceptible to moths	textiles, upholstery, blankets, draperies, carpets,
vicuña	animal	Vicugna vicugna	overlapping scales	5 cm			soft, lightweight, finer than alpaca or camel
wool	animal	Caprinae family	overlapping scales	38-125 mm (fine), 65-150 mm (med.), 125-375 mm (long)	17 ( fine), 24- 34 (medium); 40 (long)	low tensile strength; good elasticity; elongation = 25-35%		poor heat conductivity; density=1.32-1.34; absorbs water and dries slowly; moisture regain=15-18%	fibers may shrink/felt with high temperatures and friction; susceptible to moths	textiles, blankets, carpets
hemp	bast	Cannabis sativa		1-2 m	9-40	durable and strong but weaker than flax		resistant to wear under water	Damaged by acids and bleaches; resistant to water and alkalis	cordage, ropes, sails
jute	bast	Corchorus capsularis	polygonal cross section (5 or 6 sides); may have discontinuous, fine striations and bundled fibers	1.5-3 m	7-18	weaker than hemp or flax; elongation, = 1.7%(dry)		density=1.5; weak when wet; moisture regain=13.75%		cordage, coarse textiles, mats, gunny sacks, carpets
kenaf	bast	Hibiscus cannabinus	polygonal cross section
linen	bast	Linum usitatissimum	bamboo-like joints	6-65 mm	8-32	stronger than cotton; elongation = 1.8% (dry), 2.2% (wet)	pale yellow	absorbs water but dries quickly; moisture regain=12%	damaged by bleach; not susceptible to biological growth; resistant to alkalis	textiles, lace, thread
ramie	bast	Bochmeria nivea	numerous striations	15-20 cm	12-82	stronger than flax or hemp	lustrous, translucent,stiff, wrinkles easily	moisture regain=12%	Resistant to mildew and insects	textiles (Chinese linen, Canton linen, grass cloth, grass linen)
abaca	leaf	Musa textilis		1-5 m		hard and strong		absorbs moisture readily		cordage
istle	leaf	Agave species								cordage, coarse textiles, mats,
pina	leaf	Ananas comosus	oval cross section	10-20 cm		strong and flexible	translucent and thin with silky luster			textiles, mats, bags
sisal	leaf	Agave sisalana	horseshoe shaped cross section	60-120 cm		weaker and less flexible than hemp	smooth and straight	disintegrates in salt water		ropes, twine, thread
silk	moths	many species, such as Bombyx mori	glass rod; before degumming silk has irregular masses of sericin holding two filaments together	250-750 m		excellent tensile strength; good elasticity; elongation = 20-25% (dry), 30% (wet)	very lustrous when degummed	poor heat conductor; moisture regain=11%	strong soaps cause yellowing; degraded by sunlight; acids cause yellowing; susceptible to carpet beetles	clothing; decorative fabrics
coir	seed hair	Cocos nucifera		12-20 cm		stiff and elastic (like horsehair)	coarse brown fibers	resistant to water		ropes,brushes, mats
cotton	seed hair	Gossypium hirsutum	narrow, twisted ribbon	1.6-6.0 cm		high tensile strength; poor elasticity; elongation = 5-10%	usually white; turns blue when treated with iodine and sulphuric acid	good heat conductivity; poor electrical conductivity; density=1.54-1.56; absorbs water, dries slowly; moisture regain=7.0-8.0%	may mildew, not attacked by moths; degraded by acids, resistant to alkalis	textiles, cordage
kapok	seed hair	Ceiba pentandra	cross section is oval or circular	20-32 mm	20	resilient, lightweight	silky; turns yellow when treated with iodine and sulphuric acid	resists water, buoyant, fries quickly		stuffing (mattresses, pillows, life preservers)

Synonyms and Related Terms

natural fibers; natural fibre (Br.); fibre naturelle (Fr.);fibra natural (Esp.); natuurlijke vezel (Ned);

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Properties of Natural Fibers

Resources and Citations

• Wikipedia: Natural fiber Access Oct. 2024
• G.Cook, Handbook of Textile Fibres:I. Natural Fibres, 5th edition, Merrow Publishing Co., Durham, England, 1984.
• The Dictionary of Paper, American Paper Institute, New York, Fourth Edition, 1980
• Hoechst Celanese Corporation, Dictionary of Fiber & Textile Technology (older version called Man-made Fiber and Textile Dictionary, 1965), Hoechst Celanese Corporation, Charlotte NC, 1990
• Mary-Lou Florian, Dale Paul Kronkright, Ruth E. Norton, The Conservation of Artifacts Made from Plant Materials, The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles, 1990
• Rosalie Rosso King, Textile Identification, Conservation, and Preservation, Noyes Publications, Park Ridge, NJ, 1985
• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
• Fairchild's Dictionary of Textiles, Phyllis G.Tortora, Robert S. Merkel (eds.), Fairchild Publications, New York City, 7th edition, 1996
• Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, https://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000
• A.Lucas, J.R.Harris, Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries, Edward Arnold Publishers Ltd., London, 4th edition, 1962