Natural Fibers

When it comes to fibers there are two different categories, natural and man made. Man made fibers are made by synthetic materials while natural fibers are made from natural materials such as plants, animals, and minerals. Plant fibers are made out of plants such as cotton, animal fibers are made from animals such as silk worms, and mineral fibers are made out of natural minerals such as sand. The use of natural fibers by humans has been around for a very long time and although the methods have changed and improved the uses have pretty much stayed the same. Some of the most commonly used natural fibers are cotton, hemp, Jute, flax, wool, cashmere, and silk.

Soft and breathable qualities have made cotton the worlds most popular natural fiber, it readily absorbs moisture so that it can be worn comfortable in hot weather. Cotton is used mostly in clothing but it can also be used in home furnishings, such as draperies, bedspreads, and window blinds, along with sheets, and towels. This versatile fiber grows from a seed, there are four different species of cotton, the most commonly used species is called hirsutum from Mexico. Hirsutum produces ninety percent of the cotton used in the world. Barbadense is another species of Peruvian cotton but it only accounts for about five percent of the cotton we use.

Hemp is a very strong and very durable fiber, it conducts heat so that it is very suitable for winter clothing. Hemp also dyes easily and is resistant to mildew, and it blocks ultraviolet light and has natural anti-bacterial qualities. Hemp has been used for a very long time to make rope and paper nowadays hemp is used in a greater variety of ways including linens and clothing along with home furnishing textiles and floor coverings. Hemp’s durability makes it ideal for high volumes of traffic in a flooring utilization. Hemp is a highly bendable fiber, often blended with cotton, linen, silk, and wool to create a softer feel, but the hemp allows for a great property in strength.

Just has been given the nick name the “golden fiber”, long, soft and shiny it is naturals strongest vegetable fiber and is second only to cotton in world usage. Jute has high insulating and anti-static properties, moderate moisture absorption and low thermal conductivity. These qualities make jute ideal to be woven into curtains, chair coverings, carpets, rugs and backing for linoleum. Just is a hard fiber so unless blended it is not very comfortable to wear in clothing or to put on a chair to sit on.

Flax is very similar in qualities to cotton however it is stronger, crisper and stiffer to handle, and on the down side it is easier to wrinkle. Flax fibers are absorbent and release water quickly, this makes linen comfortable to wear in hot weather. Fine flax fibers are spun into yarns for linen textiles and more than seventy percent of linen goes to clothing manufacture. Short flax fibers produce a heavy yarn that is suitable for kitchen towels, boat sails, tents and canvas.

Wool is a natural animal fiber with natural crimpiness and scale patterns that make it easy to spin. Fabrics that are made from wool have a greater bulk than other textiles and therefore they provide better insulation and are resilient, elastic, and durable. Wool is a very multifunctional fiber, we all have that worm wool sweater that we pull out when it is exceptionally cold outside. However wool can be used for a greater amount of things than just a warm sweater, wool is highly functional for household fabrics. Blankets, and anti-static and noise-absorbing carpets, and durable upholstery can all be manufactured form wool products.

Cashmere is one of the most highly prized and luxuries fibers it is made from the Kashmir goats fur native to the Himalayas, this goat is the only animal that can produce the cashmere fiber. Natural crimp allows it to be spun into very fine, lightweight fabrics so that it is very soft. Cashmere has small air space between the fibers, which makes it warm without the bulky weight, such as that of wool. The cuticle cells on the fiber’s surface create a naturally smooth and lustrous appearance.

Silk is produced by the silkworm which produces a liquid silk that hardens into filaments to form its cocoon. heat is used to soften the filaments so that they can be spun and woven into products. The silk filament is a continuous thread, this gives it a great tensile strength so it is very luxurious but very strong. Silk has a natural shine to it that makes it beautiful and very expensive looking, it is very easily dyed so the color that silk can be is very solid and vibrant.

These are some of the most common types of natural fiber among many other fibers. As you can see from the above text, natural fibers can come in a great variety of different forms and they all have very different qualities that make them suitable for a great variety of different uses.