Natural fiber
Description
A class of fibers that includes all non-synthetic fibers. Natural fibers are generally separated into three groups based on origin:
1) plant fiber: Cotton, Linen, Jute, Abaca.
2) animal fiber: Wool, Silk, Fur.
3) Mineral fiber: Asbestos, graphite, quartz.
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);
For easy printing and to download
Resources and Citations
- Hoechst Celanese Corporation, Dictionary of Fiber & Textile Technology (older version called Man-made Fiber and Textile Dictionary, 1965), Hoechst Celanese Corporation, Charlotte NC, 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