Difference Between Natural and Synthetic Fibres

What are Natural Fibers?

All humans require clothing; thriving in the current world would be challenging without it. Have you ever wondered what materials are utilized in clothing production? We wear clothing that is comprised of fibers. Fibers are thin, flexible strands that resemble thread and are utilized in various processes, including manufacturing paper, clothing, medications, and cosmetics. The fibers are divided into two categories based on where they come from. Natural and synthetic fibers are the two categories of fibers. Natural fibers are those that come from both plant and animal sources. Natural fibers are defined as raw materials with the consistency of thread that are directly harvested from plant and animal sources and then transformed into nonwoven fabrics rather than woven clothing.

Varieties of Natural Fibers

The two categories of natural fibers are covered in the following discussion.

1. Plant Fiber:Plant fibers can be made from various plant parts, including leaves, wood, fruits, flowers, and stems.
2. Animal Fibre: Animals such as silk, wool, and others are used to produce animal fibers.

Illustrations of Natural Fibers

The names of the natural fibers are listed below.

• Wood: Softwood and hardwood are produced from wood. Leaf: From the leaf, we obtain sisal, abaca, pineapple, banana, palm, fique, and henequen.
• Stem/Bast: From the stem, we obtain flax, jute, hemp, kenaf, and ramie. Cotton and coconuts come from seeds. Bamboo and rice come from grass. Wool, silk, angora, and other fibers come from animals.

Uses for Natural Fibers

The list of natural fibers and their applications are detailed below.

• Cotton: Cotton is typically farmed in areas with black soil and moderate rainfall. Cotton grows all around the cotton plant's seeds in the form of a shrub known as the cotton plant. Many different textile items contain cotton.
• Jute: The bark of the jute plant is used to make jute fiber. It grows in areas with loamy soil and heavy rainfall. Jute is farmed to a maximum of 80% in Bangladesh, with the remaining 20% coming from India, Nepal, China, and Thailand. Sacks, coarse cloth, the wrapping of raw cotton bales, and other products are made from jute.
• Coir: Coir is a plant fiber made from the coconut's shell. Coconuts are submerged in water for a few months to produce coir. With wooden mallets, the outer covering, or husk, is removed from the nut and battered to extract the fiber. After that, the fiber is spun, colored, and weaved. Many household items, including rope for filling pillows and beds, are made from coir.
• Silk cotton: Silk cotton is a plant fiber found in the kapok tree. The fruits have fiber that is airy and light. The fruit bursts to provide fiber as it ripens. It is used to fill sleeping bags and life jackets. Hemp: The stem of the hemp plant is used to produce another form of plant fiber, hemp. It creates things like ropes, nets, clothes, and paper.
• Flax: The flax plant's stem is where this fiber is found. Linen is made by weaving flax (fabric). It's employed to create premium paper. Horsehair, lamp wool, and goat hair are the three main sources of animal fiber known as "wool." It is used to create blankets, clothing, and other items.

Essential Characteristics of Natural Fibers

• Natural fibers are naturally occurring, hair-like strands derived from plant stems, leaves, branches, fruit, and animals. They are used to make various products, including cloth, rope, blankets, paper, and other materials.
• Some natural fibers obtained from plants are jute, cotton, flax, and coir.
• Some examples of natural fibers obtained from animals are wool, silk, etc.

What are Synthetic Fibres?

Fibers are elongated, thick-walled cells with pointed ends, and cellulose is present in their cell walls. It may or may not contain lignin. In the environment, apart from three natural sources(plant fiber, animal fiber, mineral fiber), fiber can be synthesized chemically from different kinds of materials. These types of fibers are named Synthetic fibers. Nylon, terylene, and rayon are different kinds of synthetic fibers. Other fibers include artificial silk or alginate yarn regenerated from carbohydrates and materials. Some fibers are regenerated from the protein, and bridal is regenerated from groundnut protein.

Why it is Important to Learn about the Synthetic Fibre?

1. There are several types of synthetic fibers that you must know about. By learning about the types of synthetic fibers with properties and uses, you can understand the difference between these fibers and natural fibers. Not only this, but it will also help you differentiate between synthetic fibers and other artificial fibers.
2. In this topic, you will learn the properties of different synthetic fibers and how they are used for various purposes.
3. When you start learning about the types of synthetic fibers, you should have a clear understanding of what synthetic fibers are.
4. Learn the types of synthetic fibers along with their properties and uses that will help you differentiate between these fibers.
5. Not only synthetic fibers, but you should also learn about natural and other manufactured fibers to understand the difference between all these different kinds of fabrics.

What are the Types of Synthetic Fibre

There are different types of synthetic fibers; these are

• Polyester
• Acrylic
• Rayon
• Nylon

Polyester= Poly+ester

It is a polymer category containing an ester group in its main chain. Polyester is used to specify the material known as PET (Polyethylene terephthalate).

Properties of Polyester

• As Polyester is a category of polymer, it is a very strong
• Polyester is very resistant to shrinkage, and it is very resistant to chemicals, also.
• Polyester is very durable.
• As Polyester is hydrophobic, it gets dry quickly.
• As Polyester is very strong, it retains its shape.
• It is easily washable.

Uses

• Polyester suits are made from Polyester.
• It is used to make Industrial rope.
• It is used to make pet bottles.

Acrylic

Acrylic is a synthetic fiber made from Polyacrylonitrile named polymer. Character-wise, Acrylic fiber resembles wool. It is also known as Polyacrylonitrile. This fabric is considered a fossil fuel based-fiber because it is produced by reacting to a variety of monomers with specific coal or petroleum-based chemicals.

Properties of Acrylic

• These types of synthetic fibers are flexible and soft.
• Acrylic fibers are warm and light.
• It is resistant to chemicals, moths, or other insects.
• Instead of wool, it is used because these synthetic fibers give a wool-like feel.

Uses

• It is used in making a blanket, Shawls, Jacket, etc. Rayon Synthetic Rayon is an important synthetic fiber known as viscose-rayon regenerated cellulose.

Features of Rayon

Rayon is a semi-synthetic fiber that is a versatile synthetic material.

• It is simple to dry.
• The body heat insulation properties of these synthetic fibers are nonexistent. As a result, it is utilized in hot, humid conditions.
• These fibers are pleasant, sufficiently soft, and very absorbent. Uses It is mostly used to create cloth.
• It is used to make visco-rayon absorbent wool and surgical dressings.
• Rayon is used in making cheap garments that have low prices.

Nylon

Nylon is an important type of Synthetic fiber. It is a polymer of adipic acid hexamethylenediamine. There is another synthetic fiber Terylene which is distinguished from nylon. These are where terylene retains its structure on boiling with phosphoric acid.

Properties of Nylon

• It is a polyamide
• These fibers are highly lustrous to dull, white, or colored.
• It is soluble in hydrochloric acid, and it is insoluble in acetone
• It can be dried easily.

Uses

• It is used for filter cloths.
• These types of synthetic fibers are used for sieves.
• It is used as non-absorbable sutures.

Difference between Natural Fibres and Synthetic Fibres: Table