Fiber

A material that can be spun into yarn in different ways. In the clothing-textile field, fibers can be of animal origin (wool, silk, hair), vegetable origin (hemp, jute, linen, cotton), or artificial. Some artificial fibers, known as proteinics, are made from cellulose pulp (viscose, rayon, cuprum) or from casein. Those made from the spinning of fused glass and from chemical processes are known as synthetics, polymers treated in various ways through polyaddiction and polycondensation reactions. The categories are: polyamides, polyesters, polyurethanes, polyurics, polyephinics, polyacrylonitrilics, polyvynilics, polystyrenes, polyvynildenilics, and polytetrafluoroethilenics. They are malleable, resistant, durable, easy to wash, and easy to maintain. New developments in the industry have allowed only some of the categories to survive. Today, the term fiber refers almost always to synthetics.