Natural fiber

Fibers or fibres (see spelling differences) are a class of hair-like materials that are continuous "'filaments"' or are in discrete elongated pieces, similar to pieces of thread. They can be used as a component of composite materials. They can also be matted into sheets to make products such as paper or felt. Fibres are of two types: natural fibre, which consists of animal and plant fibres, and man-made fibre, which consists of synthetic fibres and regenerated fibres. The earliest evidence for humans using fibers is the discovery of wool and dyed flax fibers found in a prehistoric cave in the Republic of Georgia that date back to 36,000 BP.

Sources

Natural fibers are made from plant, animal and mineral sources. Natural fibers can be classified according to their origin.

The most used plant fibers are cotton, flax and hemp, although sisal, jute, kenaf, bamboo and coconut are also widely used.

Hemp fibers are mainly used for ropes and aerofoils because of their high suppleness and resistance within an aggressive environment. Hemp fibers are, for example, currently used as a seal within the heating and sanitary industries.