Synthetic Fibers

Synthetic fibers are petroleum-based fibers, produced entirely from chemical substances. These fibers, synthesized from petrochemicals, are made from a synthetic polymer and specifically engineered to have certain desirable properties. Synthetic fibers can be manufactured as both staple and filament. Even though it is difficult to identify manufactured fibers through the microscopic analysis, examining the fiber shape can help us understand the fiber performance characteristics that include both aesthetic and mechanical properties. The first synthetic fiber, nylon, was developed by Wallace Carothers, an American researcher who worked at the DuPont chemical company in 1930. The second synthetic fiber, polyester, came about 10 years after nylon and is one of the most important developments in fiber manufacturing. Every synthetic fiber has a different degree of luster, a sheen that the fiber possesses, again depending on its fiber cross-sectional shape. The longitudinal view of polyester and nylon is a smooth cylindrical rod.