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Synthetic fibers or synthetic fibres (in British English; see spelling differences) are fibers made by humans through chemical synthesis, as opposed to natural fibers that are directly derived from living organisms, such as plants (like cotton) or fur from animals. They are the result of extensive research by scientists to replicate naturally occurring animal and plant fibers. In general, synthetic fibers are created by extruding fiber-forming materials through spinnerets, forming a fiber. These are called synthetic or artificial fibers. The word polymer comes from a Greek prefix "poly" which means "many" and suffix "mer" which means "single units". (Note: each single unit of a polymer is called a monomer).

The first synthetic fibres

Nylon was the first commercially successful synthetic thermoplastic polymer. DuPont began its research project in 1927. The first nylon, nylon 66, was synthesized on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Hume Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station.

The next step was taken by Hilaire de Chardonnet, a French engineer and industrialist, who invented the first artificial silk, which he called "Chardonnet silk". In the late 1870s, Chardonnet was working with Louis Pasteur on a remedy to the epidemic that was destroying French silkworms. Failure to clean up a spill in the darkroom resulted in Chardonnet's discovery of nitrocellulose as a potential replacement for real silk. Realizing the value of such a discovery, Chardonnet began to develop his new product,^[1] which he displayed at the Paris Exhibition of 1889.^[2] Chardonnet's material was extremely flammable, and subsequently replaced with other, more stable materials.

Commercial products

The first successful process was developed in 1894 by English chemist Charles Frederick Cross, and his collaborators Edward John Bevan and Clayton Beadle. They named the fiber "viscose", because the reaction product of carbon disulfide and cellulose in basic conditions gave a highly viscous solution of xanthate.^[3] The first commercial viscose rayon was produced by the UK company Courtaulds in 1905. The name "rayon" was adopted in 1924, with "viscose" being used for the viscous organic liquid used to make both rayon and cellophane. A similar product known as cellulose acetate was discovered in 1865. Rayon and acetate are both artificial fibers, but not truly synthetic, being made from wood.^[4]

Nylon, the first synthetic fiber in the "fully synthetic" sense of that term,^{[citation needed]} was developed by Wallace Carothers, an American researcher at the chemical firm DuPont in the 1930s. It soon made its debut in the United States as a replacement for silk, just in time for the introduction of rationing during World War II. Its novel use as a material for women's stockings overshadowed more practical uses, such as a replacement for the silk in parachutes and other military uses like ropes.

The first polyester fiber was patented in Britain in 1928 by the International General Electric company.^[5] It was also produced by British chemists working at the Calico Printers' Association, John Rex Whinfield and James Tennant Dickson,^[6]^[7] in 1941. They produced and patented one of the first polyester fibers which they named Terylene, also known as Dacron, equal to or surpassing nylon in toughness and resilience.^[8] ICI and DuPont went on to produce their own versions of the fiber.

The world production of synthetic fibers was 55.2 million tonnes in 2014.^[9]

Descriptions

About half of all fibres are synthetic, with applications in every field of fiber and textile technology. Although many classes of fibers based on synthetic polymers have been evaluated as potentially valuable commercial products, four of them - nylon, polyester, acrylic and polyolefin - dominate the market. These four account for approximately 98 percent by volume of synthetic fiber production, with polyester alone accounting for around 60 percent.^[10]

Synthetic fibers are a source of microplastic pollution from laundry machines.^[11]

Common synthetic fibers

Common synthetic fibers include:

Nylon (1931)
Modacrylic (1949)
Olefin (1949)
Acrylic (1950)
Polyester (1953)

Specialty synthetic fibers include:

Rayon (1894) artificial silk
Vinyon (1939)
Saran (1941)
Spandex (1959)
Vinalon (1939)
Aramids (1961) - known as Nomex, Kevlar and Twaron
Modal (1960s)
Dyneema/Spectra (1979)
PBI (Polybenzimidazole fiber) (1983)
Sulfar (1983)
Lyocell (1992) (artificial, not synthetic)
PLA (2002)
M-5 (PIPD fiber)
Orlon
Zylon (PBO fiber)
Vectran (TLCP fiber) made from Vectra LCP polymer
Derclon used in manufacture of rugs

^{[citation needed]}

Other synthetic materials used in fibers include:

Acrylonitrile rubber (1930)

Modern fibers that are made from older artificial materials include:

Glass fiber (1938) is used for:
- industrial, automotive, and home insulation (glass wool)
- reinforcement of composite materials (glass-reinforced plastic, glass fiber reinforced concrete)
- specialty papers in battery separators and filtration
Metallic fiber (1946) is used for:
- adding metallic properties to clothing for the purpose of fashion (usually made with composite plastic and metal foils)
- elimination and prevention of static charge build-up
- conducting electricity to transmit information
- conduction of heat^{[citation needed]}

References

^ Garrett, Alfred (1963). The Flash of Genius. Princeton, New Jersey: D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc. pp. 48–49.
^ Inventive Genius. New York: Time-Life Books. 1991. p. 52. ISBN 978-0-8094-7699-2.
^ Day, Lance; Ian McNeil (1998). Biographical Dictionary of the History of Technology. Taylor & Francis. p. 113. ISBN 978-0415193993.
^ Woodings, Calvin R. "A Brief History of Regenerated Cellulosic fibers". WOODINGS CONSULTING LTD. Archived from the original on 22 April 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
^ Loasby, G. (1951). "The Development of the Synthetic Fibres". Journal of the Textile Institute Proceedings. 42 (8): P411–P441. doi:10.1080/19447015108663852.
^ World of Chemistry. Thomson Gale. 2005. Archived from the original on 28 October 2009. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
^ Allen, P (1967). "Obituary". Chemistry in Britain.
^ Frank Greenaway, 'Whinfield, John Rex (1901–1966)', rev. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 20 June 2011
^ Man-Made Fibers Continue To Grow Archived 28 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Textile World
^ J E McIntyre, Professor Emeritus of Textile Industries, University of Leeds, UK (ed.). Synthetic fibers: Nylon, polyester, acrylic, polyolefin. Woodhead Publishing - Series in Textiles. Vol. 36. Cambridge. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
^ Katsnelson, Alla (2015). "News Feature: Microplastics present pollution puzzle". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 112 (18): 5547–5549. Bibcode:2015PNAS..112.5547K. doi:10.1073/pnas.1504135112. PMC 4426466. PMID 25944930.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|Artificially manufactured fibers, often based on polymers}}
-'''Synthetic fibers ''' are the result of extensive research by [[scientist]]s to improve on naturally occurring [[animal fiber|animal]] and [[plant fiber|plant]] [[fiber]]s. In general, [[Synthetic chemical|synthetic]] fibers are created by forcing, usually through [[extrusion]], fiber forming materials through holes (called spinnerets) into the air, forming a thread. Before synthetic fibers were developed, artificially manufactured fibers were made from [[cellulose]], which comes from plants. These fibers are called [[cellulose fiber]]s.
+{{Use American English|date=May 2020}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
+'''Synthetic fibers''' or '''synthetic fibres''' (in [[British English]]; [[American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er|see spelling differences]]) are [[fiber]]s made by humans through [[chemical synthesis]], as opposed to [[natural fiber]]s that are directly derived from [[life|living]] organisms, such as plants (like cotton) or fur from animals. They are the result of extensive research by [[scientist]]s to replicate naturally occurring [[animal fiber|animal]] and [[fiber crop|plant fibers]]. In general, synthetic fibers are created by [[extrusion|extruding]] fiber-forming materials through [[spinneret (polymers)|spinnerets]], forming a fiber. These are called synthetic or artificial fibers. The word polymer comes from a Greek prefix "poly" which means "many" and suffix "mer" which means "single units". (Note: each single unit of a polymer is called a monomer).
+== The first synthetic fibres ==
-Synthetic Fibers are made from synthesized polymers or small molecules. The compounds that are used to make these fibers come from raw materials such as petroleum based chemicals or petrochemicals. These materials are polymerized into a long, linear chemical that bond two adjacent carbon atoms. Differing chemical compounds will be used to produce different types of fibers. Although there are several different synthetic fibers, they generally have the same common properties.  Generally, they are known for being:
-•	Heat-sensitive
-•	Resistant to most chemicals
-•	Resistant to insects, fungi and rot
-•	Low moisture absorbency
-•	Oleophilic
-•	Electrostatic
-•	Flame resistant
-•	Density or specific gravity
-•	Pilling
+[[Nylon]] was the first commercially successful synthetic thermoplastic polymer. DuPont began its research project in 1927. The first nylon, nylon 66, was synthesized on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Hume Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station.
-There are several methods of manufacturing synthetic fibers but the most common is the Melt-Spinning Process. It involves heating the fiber until it begins to melt, then you must draw out the melt with tweezers as quickly as possible. The next step would be to draw the molecules by aligning them in a parallel arrangement. This brings the fibers closer together and allows them to crystallize and orient. Lastly, is Heat-Setting. This utilizes heat to permeate the shape and dimensions of the fabrics made from heat-sensitive fibers.
+The next step was taken by [[Hilaire de Chardonnet]], a French [[engineer]] and [[industrialist]], who invented the first artificial [[silk]], which he called "Chardonnet silk". In the late 1870s, Chardonnet was working with [[Louis Pasteur]] on a remedy to the epidemic that was destroying French [[silkworms]]. Failure to clean up a spill in the darkroom resulted in Chardonnet's discovery of [[nitrocellulose]] as a potential replacement for real silk. Realizing the value of such a discovery, Chardonnet began to develop his new product,<ref>{{cite book|last=Garrett|first=Alfred|title=The Flash of Genius|url=https://archive.org/details/flashofgenius00garr|url-access=registration|year=1963|publisher=D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc.|location=Princeton, New Jersey|pages=[https://archive.org/details/flashofgenius00garr/page/48 48–49]}}</ref> which he displayed at the [[Exposition Universelle (1889)|Paris Exhibition of 1889.]]<ref>{{Cite book | title = Inventive Genius | publisher = Time-Life Books | location = New York | year = 1991 | isbn = 978-0-8094-7699-2 | page = [https://archive.org/details/inventivegenius00time/page/52 52] | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/inventivegenius00time/page/52 }}</ref>  Chardonnet's material was extremely flammable, and subsequently replaced with other, more stable materials.
-Synthetic fibers account for about half of all fiber usage, with applications in every field of fiber and textile technology. Although many classes of fiber based on synthetic polymers have been evaluated as potentially valuable asshole commercial products, four of them - [[nylon]], [[polyester]], [[Acrylic fiber|acrylic]] and [[polyolefin]] - dominate the market. These four account for approximately 98 per cent by volume of synthetic fiber production, with polyester alone accounting for around 60 per cent.<ref>http://www.woodheadpublishing.com/en/book.aspx?bookID=510</ref>
+==Commercial products==
-==History==
+[[File:Wallace Carothers, in the lab.jpg|thumb|160px|[[Nylon]] was first synthesized by [[Wallace Carothers]] at [[DuPont]].]]
-The first artificial fiber, known as [[artificial silk]], became known as [[viscose]] around 1894, and finally [[rayon]] in 1924. A similar product known as [[cellulose acetate]] was discovered in 1865. Rayon and acetate are both artificial fibers, but not truly synthetic, being made from [[wood]]. Although these artificial fibers were discovered in the mid-nineteenth century, successful modern manufacture began much later (see the dates below).
+The first successful process was developed in 1894 by English chemist [[Charles Frederick Cross]], and his collaborators [[Edward John Bevan]] and Clayton Beadle. They named the fiber "[[viscose]]", because the reaction product of [[carbon disulfide]] and [[cellulose]] in basic conditions gave a highly viscous solution of [[xanthate]].<ref name=bdht>{{cite book|last=Day|first=Lance|title=Biographical Dictionary of the History of Technology|year=1998|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0415193993|pages=113|author2=Ian McNeil }}</ref> The first commercial viscose [[rayon]] was produced by the UK company [[Courtaulds]] in 1905. The name "rayon" was adopted in 1924, with "viscose" being used for the viscous organic liquid used to make both rayon and [[cellophane]]. A similar product known as [[cellulose acetate]] was discovered in 1865. Rayon and acetate are both artificial fibers, but not truly synthetic, being made from [[wood]].<ref name=crw-bhrcf>{{cite web|last=Woodings|first=Calvin R.|title=A Brief History of Regenerated Cellulosic fibers|url=http://www.nonwoven.co.uk/reports/History%20of%20Cellulosics.html|publisher=WOODINGS CONSULTING LTD.|access-date=26 May 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422133253/http://www.nonwoven.co.uk/reports/History%20of%20Cellulosics.html|archive-date=22 April 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
-[[Nylon]], the first synthetic fiber, made its debut in the [[United States]] as a replacement for [[silk]], just in time for [[World War II]] rationing. Its novel use as a material for women's [[stockings]] overshadowed more practical uses, such as a replacement for the silk in [[parachute]]s and other [[military]] uses.
+[[Nylon]], the first synthetic fiber in the "fully synthetic" sense of that term,{{citation needed|date=July 2020}} was developed by [[Wallace Carothers]], an American researcher at the chemical firm [[DuPont]] in the 1930s. It soon made its debut in the [[United States]] as a replacement for [[silk]], just in time for the introduction of rationing during [[World War II]]. Its novel use as a material for women's [[stockings]] overshadowed more practical uses, such as a replacement for the silk in [[parachute]]s and other [[military]] uses like [[rope]]s.
+The first [[polyester]] fiber was patented in Britain in 1928 by the International General Electric company.<ref>{{Cite journal|doi = 10.1080/19447015108663852|title = The Development of the Synthetic Fibres|year = 1951|last1 = Loasby|first1 = G.|journal = Journal of the Textile Institute Proceedings|volume = 42|issue = 8|pages = P411–P441}}</ref> It was also produced by British chemists working at the [[Calico Printers' Association]], [[John Rex Whinfield]] and James Tennant Dickson,<ref name="WoC">{{cite book|url=http://www.bookrags.com/biography/john-r-whinfield-woc/|title=World of Chemistry|date=2005|publisher=Thomson Gale|access-date=1 November 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091028101909/http://www.bookrags.com/biography/john-r-whinfield-woc/|archive-date=28 October 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name = "CiB">{{cite journal |last1= Allen|first1= P |year= 1967|title= Obituary|journal=Chemistry in Britain }}</ref> in 1941. They produced and patented one of the first polyester fibers which they named [[Terylene]], also known as [[Dacron]], equal to or surpassing [[nylon]] in toughness and resilience.<ref name ="odnb">Frank Greenaway, 'Whinfield, John Rex (1901–1966)', rev. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/38119, accessed 20 June 2011]</ref> [[Imperial Chemical Industries|ICI]] and [[DuPont]] went on to produce their own versions of the fiber.
+The world production of synthetic fibers was 55.2 million tonnes in 2014.<ref>[http://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/fiber-world/2015/02/man-made-fibers-continue-to-grow/ Man-Made Fibers Continue To Grow] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428141218/http://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/fiber-world/2015/02/man-made-fibers-continue-to-grow/ |date=28 April 2016 }}, Textile World</ref>
+==Descriptions==
+[[File:Viscose Rayon spinning machine.JPG|thumb|right|A device for spinning Viscose Rayon dating from 1901]]
+About half of all fibres are synthetic, with applications in every field of fiber and textile technology. Although many classes of fibers based on synthetic polymers have been evaluated as potentially valuable commercial products, four of them - [[nylon]], [[polyester]], [[Acrylic fiber|acrylic]] and [[polyolefin]] - dominate the market. These four account for approximately 98 percent by volume of synthetic fiber production, with polyester alone accounting for around 60 percent.<ref name="Woodhead 36">{{cite book|title=Synthetic fibers: Nylon, polyester, acrylic, polyolefin|editor=((J E McIntyre, Professor Emeritus of Textile Industries, University of Leeds, UK))|location=Cambridge|series=Woodhead Publishing - Series in Textiles|volume=36|url=http://www.woodheadpublishing.com/en/book.aspx?bookID=510|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717071233/http://www.woodheadpublishing.com/en/book.aspx?bookID=510|archive-date=17 July 2011|df=dmy-all|access-date=21 April 2010}}</ref>
+Synthetic fibers are a source of [[microplastic]] pollution from laundry machines.<ref>{{cite journal
+|doi=10.1073/pnas.1504135112 |pmid=25944930 |pmc=4426466 |title=News Feature: Microplastics present pollution puzzle |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=112 |issue=18 |pages=5547–5549 |year=2015 |last1=Katsnelson |first1=Alla |bibcode=2015PNAS..112.5547K |doi-access=free }}</ref>
+==Common synthetic fibers==
 Common synthetic fibers include:
+* [[Nylon]] (1931)
-*[[Rayon]] (1910) (artificial, not synthetic)
-* [[Cellulose acetate|Acetate]] (1924) (artificial, not synthetic)
-* [[Nylon]] (1939)
 * [[Modacrylic]] (1949)
 * [[Olefin fiber|Olefin]] (1949)
 * [[Acrylic fiber|Acrylic]] (1950)
 * [[Polyester]] (1953)
-* [[Carbon fiber]] (1968)
 Specialty synthetic fibers include:
-{{MultiCol}}
+{{colbegin}}
-*[[Vinyon]] (1939)
+* [[Rayon]] (1894) artificial silk
+* [[Vinyon]] (1939)
 * [[Saran (plastic)|Saran]] (1941)
 * [[Spandex]] (1959)
 * [[Vinalon]] (1939)
 * [[Aramid]]s (1961) - known as [[Nomex]], [[Kevlar]] and [[Twaron]]
-* [[Modal (textile)|Modal]] (1960's)
+* [[Modal (textile)|Modal]] (1960s)
 * [[Dyneema|Dyneema/Spectra]] (1979)
 * [[Polybenzimidazole fiber|PBI]] (Polybenzimidazole fiber) (1983)
-{{ColBreak}}
 * [[Poly(p-phenylene sulfide)|Sulfar]] (1983)
-* [[Lyocell]] (1992)
+* [[Lyocell]] (1992) (artificial, not synthetic)
 * [[Polylactide|PLA]] (2002)
 * [[M5 fiber|M-5]] (PIPD fiber)
@@ Line 50: / Line 56: @@
 * [[Vectran]] (TLCP fiber) made from Vectra LCP polymer
 * [[Derclon]] used in manufacture of rugs
+{{colend}}{{citation needed|date=June 2014}}
-{{EndMultiCol}}
 Other synthetic materials used in fibers include:
-*[[Acrylonitrile]] rubber (1930)
+* [[Acrylonitrile]] rubber (1930)
 Modern fibers that are made from older artificial materials include:
-*[[Glass (fiber)|Glass fiber]] (1938) is used for:
+* [[Glass (fiber)|Glass fiber]] (1938) is used for:
-**industrial, automotive, and home insulation ([[glass wool]])
+** industrial, automotive, and home insulation ([[glass wool]])
 ** reinforcement of [[composite material]]s ([[glass-reinforced plastic]], [[glass fiber reinforced concrete]])
 ** specialty papers in [[battery (electricity)|battery]] separators and filtration
@@ Line 64: / Line 70: @@
 ** elimination and prevention of static charge build-up
 ** conducting [[electricity]] to transmit information
-** conduction of [[heat]]
+** conduction of [[heat]]{{citation needed|date=June 2019}}
-In the horticulture industry synthetics are often used in soils to help the plants grow better. Examples are:
-*expanded polystyrene flakes
-* urea-formaldehyde foam resin
-* polyurethane foam
-* phenolic resin foam
-==Industry structure==
-During the last quarter of the 20th century, the Asian share of global output of synthetic fibers doubled to 65 per cent.<ref>http://www.fibersource.com/F-Info/fiber%20production.htm</ref>
 ==See also==
-*[[Artificial turf]]
+* [[Artificial turf]]
+* [[Elasterell]]
+* [[Rope]]
+* [[Delustrant]]
-==References==
+== References ==
-{{reflist}}
+{{Reflist}}
-*The original source of this article and much of the synthetic fiber articles (copied with permission) is Whole Earth magazine, No. 90, Summer 1997. [http://www.wholeearth.com/ www.wholeearth.com]
+== Further reading ==
-==External links==
+* The original source of this article and much of the synthetic fiber articles (copied with permission) is Whole Earth magazine, No. 90, Summer 1997. [http://www.wholeearth.com/ www.wholeearth.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106171959/http://wholeearth.com// |date=6 January 2009 }}
-*[http://www.wholeearthmag.com/ArticleBin/113.html Inventory of Synthetic Fibers]
-{{fibers}}
+{{-}}
+{{Fibers}}
+{{Authority control}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Synthetic Fiber}}
 [[Category:Synthetic fibers| ]]
-[[ca:Fibra sintètica]]
-[[cs:Umělá textilní vlákna]]
-[[es:Fibra sintética]]
-[[fa:الیاف مصنوعی]]
-[[fr:Fibre synthétique]]
-[[ko:합성섬유]]
-[[hi:कृत्रिम सूत]]
-[[it:Tecnofibre]]
-[[he:בד סינתטי]]
-[[ja:合成繊維]]
-[[no:Kunstfiber]]
-[[nn:Kunstfiber]]
-[[pl:Włókna sztuczne]]
-[[pt:Fibra sintética]]
-[[ru:Химические волокна]]
-[[fi:Synteettinen kuitu]]
-[[sv:Konstfiber]]
-[[uk:Хімічні волокна]]
-[[zh:人造纖維]]

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