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is a hair-like strand of material that is extremely long in relation
to its width, typically more than 100 times longer than it is
wide. A fiber is the smallest visible unit of any textile product,
but yet is the most flexible and may be spun into yarn and made
into fabrics.
Fibers
naturally occur in both plants and animals. More than half of
the fibers produced are natural. Natural fibers include cotton,
hair, fur and silk. Other fibers can be made from synthetic chemical
processes. Glasses are formed in fibers by either drawing (optical
fibers) or spinning (fiberglass). They can be used for a range
of applications that span the areas of architecture (insulation),
optics (lasers), and composites (sports equipment and medical
implants).
There
are two types of manufactured fibers: regenerated and synthetic.
Regenerated fibers are man-made fibers that come from natural
materials by processing the materials to form a fiber structure.
Examples of what regenerated fibers are used in are clothing,
carpets, bedding, canvas, and diapers for babies.
Synthetic
fibers are a subset of man-made fibers, made entirely from chemicals
and are usually stronger than either natural or regenerated fibers.
Examples of synthetic fibers are nylon, polyester, spandex, acrylic,
and kevlar.
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Fibers
