Browsing tag
Polyester fibers, the synthetic fibers, are long-chain polymers derived from coal, air, water, and petroleum. They are formed through a chemical reaction between an acid and alcohol. Polyester is often blended with other fibers like cotton to get the best of both worlds.
A useful filament was not produced until the last part of the 19th century when Swann and de Chardonnet extruded a solution of cellulose nitrate (collodion) through small holes (spinnerets). These pioneer manmade fibers were replaced by rayon fibers which were spun from an alkaline cellulose xanthate solution (viscose), which were in turn supplemented by cellulose acetate and many synthetic fibers.
A variety of inorganic materials are made into fine fibers and used for structural strengthening or insulation; they are known as man-made mineral fibers (MMMF). Types of man-made mineral fiber have names such as mineral wool (which includes rock wool, slag wool, and glass wool), continuous filament, superfine and refractory (or ceramic) man-made mineral fiber. The names of these classes of materials have different origins and are not necessarily mutually exclusive.