Textiles
Textiles are created by spinning long strands of natural and
synthetic fibers into yarn which are then formed by weaving, knitting,
crocheting, knotting or pressing. There are 4 main categories from which
fibers can be obtained for this purpose, animal, plant, mineral and
synthetic.
Animal
Animal based goods are created using hair and fur. The most
common is wool which is obtained from various breeds of goat and sheep
such as the domesticated goat, cashmere goat and angora goat. Silk is
also an animal textile which is created from the fibers of the Chinese
silk worm's cocoon.
Plant
Plant based products are formed using various raw plant materials
such as cotton, sisal, hemp, flax and bamboo just to name a few. Sisal
fibers are commonly used in rope making whereas coconut fibers are used
to make twine. Hemp is increasingly becoming a top choice for it's
versatility as it can be used to create rope, paper, clothing, jewelry
and much more.
Mineral
Products created using asbestos, basalt and glass fibers are
vinyl sheets, adhesives, sheeting, spacesuits, ropes and cables. Metal
fibers are also used to make jewelry and such.
Synthetic
Synthetics are often imitations of natural based fibers and are
derived from petroleum such as acrylic (wool) and nylon (silk). Other
popular synthetics include polyester and spandex.
|