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Coir or coconut fiber belongs to the group of hard structural fibers. It is an important commercial product obtained from the husk of the coconut. Industries based on coir have developed in many coconut producing countries especially India, Tanzania, Kenya, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Ghana etc.
Kapok/Capok fiber is one of the natural cellulosic fibers which grow on the kapok plant. It has a hollow body and a sealed tail, which are desirable features of candidates for functional textiles of this nature. However, the low volume weight of kapok is (specific density 0.29g/cm3), and the short length and smooth surface of the fibers, causing poor inter-fiber cohesion, have prevented kapok from being processed by modern spinning machines.
Alpacas are fiber producing animals. Alpaca fiber is one of the finest animal fibers in the world. It is comparable to mohair, cashmere and other rare 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.
The synthetic man-made fibers include the polyamides (nylon), polyesters, acrylics, polyolefin, vinyl, and elastomeric fibers, while the regenerated fibers include rayon, the cellulose acetates, the regenerated proteins, glass, and rubber fibers.
Manmade protein fibers are produced by dissolving proteins like casein from milk, soya bean protein, and zein from corn in diluted alkali and forcing these solutions through a spinneret into an acid-formaldehyde coagulating bath.
Certain natural cellulose fibers are treated and re-produced for specific purposes. The famous fibers such as Viscose Rayon, Acetate etc. are produced by processing various natural polymers.
A number of fibres exist that are derived from natural mineral sources or are manufactured from inorganic and mineral salts. These fibres are predominantly derivatives of silica (Si02) or other metal oxides.
Hair fibres obtained from different kinds of animals also contribute to the fabric formation such as Musk-Ox (qiviut), Alpaca, Mohair, Cashmere, Camel etc.
Silk is a protein fiber made from silkworms and is the only natural fiber that is a filament fiber. Silk fibers spun by several species of arthropods have existed naturally for hundreds of millions of years.