The first ever man made artificial fibers, called cellulose fibers, were developed with the help of cellulose which comes from plants. With the invent of latest technology, the methods are made more simpler and the quality of the fibers developed form natural plants and animals are improved to a greater extent. These final improved quality fibers are called synthetic fibers.
Synthetic fibers are used in each and every field and on the whole they constitute more than half of the textile market. Most prominently there are four synthetic fibers which are still dominating the market. They are the nylon, polyester, acrylic and the poly olefin. Polyester alone accounts 60% of the market. Let us check each of them in detail.
Nylon: This is the first ever invented synthetic fiber and has replaced many applications involving silk as the major fabric. This fabric has versatile applications like it is used for fabric making, carpets, musical strings and ropes.
Polyester: Polyester belong to the group of polymers. The fabrics woven by polyester are used for home furnishing and making many kinds of apparels. Industrial polyester fibers are used in tyre reinforcements, safety belts, and as insulating materials in pillows. The clothes made of polyester are highly durable.
Acrylic: The fiber which contains at least 85% of the acrylonitrile is called as called a acrylic fiber.
The acrylate fibers are the group of fibers which are noted for transparency and elasticity.
Polyolefin: Polyolefin is a fiber produced from a simple olefin. In general this material is not used to produce any kind of fabrics, but can be used for many industrial purposes.
These are the main synthetic fibers which are used extensively in many places.