Fibrous Substances (all except asbestos animal or vegetable) owe to a peculiarity of structure their capacity for being spun, woven, and felted. Human hair or horse-hair is not suitable for ordinary textile fabrics, because either resembles a very thin flexible rod with smooth sides, so that when an attempt is made to twist a number of them into a yarn, or form them into a felted substance, they will not hold together. Horse-hair used singly is made into cloth because it is exceptionally strong. But nearly all fibres suitable for woven or felted fabrics, such as wool, silk, cotton, or flax, have on their surface serrations or projections of some kind, or they have a proneness to twist and curl, either of which characters causes them to interlock, so that when they are spun into yarn they do not untwist again. These little prominences or projections are only seen when the fibre is highly magnified.
In addition to suitable structure, the value of a fibre for industrial purposes depends upon its strength and elasticity, and upon its capability of being bleached and dyed. Length and fineness are also considered, as well as abundance of supply.
The wool of the sheep and the shawl goat is described under WOOL and CASHMERE GOAT. See their respective heads for alpaca, mohair, fur, and silk. There are a few other animal fibres of some interest or importance, such as camel's hair, from which an excellent cloth is made, and cow-hair, which is used in considerable quantity for inferior kinds of woollen goods. A fibre of a silky nature is obtained from the byssus of a large Mediterranean bivalve shell-fish (Pinna nobilis), which is made into shawls and gloves.
Different parts of plants yield fibres. Only dicotyledonous plants have a true bark, and from these come the most important textile fibres of vegetable origin. These generally consist of strong, fine, flexible bast fibres from the bark sheath, of which flax, hemp, rhea, and jute are examples (see BAST). The most valuable of all, however—viz. cotton, consists of hairs which surround the seeds of the plant. In monocotyledonous plants, which also yield many serviceable fibres, these are commonly obtained from the fibrous portions of leaves and of leaf-stalks. More rarely they occur as hair-like fibres which form appendages to leaves or surround their base. Coir fibre is from the husk of the nut of the cocoa-nut palm.
Vegetable fibres consist essentially of Cellulose (q.v.), a substance which is not easily acted upon by chemical reagents such as affect allied bodies found in plants. This is an important property in connection with some of the manufacturing processes through which they require to pass.
Cotton, flax, hemp, jute, and coir are described under their respective heads; rhea or China-grass under BÆHMERIA; and New Zealand flax (Phormium tenax) under FLAX. The vegetable fibres noticed in what follows, though less known than those used in our principal textile industries, are nearly all of some importance commercially. Besides these there are quite a number of plants yielding fibres known to have valuable properties which have not, except in the countries in which they grow, received any industrial application.
FIBRES FROM EXOGENOUS PLANTS.—Asclepias syriaca (Silk Weed).—The seeds of this plant are covered with a silky down which is used for a variety of purposes, such as the stuffing of beds and for mixing with wool for certain kinds of cloth and felt. The species is a native of Syria, but is also found in North and South America, and is cultivated in some parts of Europe.
Beaumontia grandiflora is another plant yielding a hairy or silky fibre from the seeds. This is considered to be one of the best and strongest of the seed-hairs called 'vegetable silk.'
Broussonetia papyrifera (Paper Mulberry).—A fine white cloth called tapa is made in a number of the Pacific Islands by beating the bark of this tree. The bark of this and another species of Broussonetia is much used for making paper in Japan. Quite recently the fibrous portion of the bark of the young shoots of white mulberry (Morus alba) has been used as a textile material in Italy (see MULBERRY).
Crotalaria juncea (Sunn Hemp).—Indigenous to Southern Asia and the tropical portion of Australasia; cultivated all over India. The fibre is very suitable for cordage, considerable quantities being exported from India for this manufacture.
Daphne longifolia, D. papyracea, D. Wallichii.—The fibre of the bark of each of these Indian plants is used in the manufacture of paper and ropes.
Eriophorum comosum (Pollenia eriopoda) (Babgrass, Cotton-grass).—This plant is very common in many parts of India. The down at the base of the seeds is largely used in India for making paper, ropes, and cordage.
Hibiscus cannabinus (Hemp-leaved hibiscus, Deccan hemp).—In the North-west Provinces, as well as in other parts of India, this small herbaceous shrub is largely cultivated for its fibre, which is sometimes used to adulterate jute. It is inferior to the latter in quality, being rather coarse and harsh, though strong. In India it is made into ropes and nets and largely into paper.
Humulus lupulus (Hop).—From the hop vine a useful fibre is obtained, which is turned to account for making cloth in Sweden. In England it has been made into millboard.
Pinus sylvestris (Pine-wool).—In recent years fibre obtained from the leaf-needles of the Scotch fir has, on the continent of Europe, been made into a blanket stuff for hospitals, flannels, and hosiery. It is usually mixed with cotton or wool. The material is believed to have medicinal properties.
Tilia europæa (Common Lime-tree).—The bast fibres of this tree are extensively used in Russia for mats, ropes, and other purposes.
FIBRES FROM ENDOGENOUS PLANTS.—Agave americana (Spanish aloe).—An excellent fibre is obtained from this plant, which grows in great abundance in all parts of tropical America. It has also been successfully introduced into some countries of the Old World. The fibre is made into ropes, twine, and netting, as well as into matting and imitation haircloth.
Agave mexicana.—A plant distinct from the last, though often confounded with it. The fibres of both are used for the same purpose. Paper was made by the ancient Mexicans from A. mexicana in the same way as the Egyptians made it from the papyrus.
Agave sisalana (Sisal hemp).—The fibre of this species, which grows in Yucatan, Mexico, and
Central America, is especially valuable for ship cables, as it has been found to resist the action of sea-water better than most other materials used for their manufacture. Sisal hemp is sent in considerable quantities to the United States, but some of it is also sent to Europe.
Attalea funifera (Piassava).—From this palm much of the cordage used on the Amazon River is made. The strong fibres used surround the young leaves. These are known in commerce as piassava fibre, or at least one kind of it, which is used in Europe chiefly for brushmaking. Another kind of piassava is got from Leopoldina piassava, also a Brazilian palm.
Bromelia ananas (Ananassa sativa) (Pine-apple).—In some places, such as the Bahamas and India, this plant is cultivated for its fruit, but in Malacca, Java, China, and some other eastern places chiefly for its fibre. Several species of bromelia yield useful fibres. The B. pigna of the Philippines yields the fine thread from which the costly pina cloth or pina muslin is made. B. sylvestris, called in Central America the pita, and in Mexico the istle, also produces an excellent fibre.
Carludovia palmata (Panama screw-pine).—The unexpanded leaves yield the straw of which Panama hats, so much valued for their durability, are made.
Caryota urens (Kittool).—From the leaves of this Indian palm the kittool fibre, now largely used to mix with bristles in brushmaking, is obtained. Strong ropes are made of it in India.
Copernicia cerifera (Carnauba or Carnahuba—q.v.—palm).—A Brazilian palm remarkable for the number of useful products obtained from it. In that country the fibres of its leaves are used for ropes, mats, brooms, &c.
Corypha australis (Australian cabbage-palm).—The fibre obtained by splitting the leaves is made into clothing, netting, and hats.
Maerochloa tenaeissima (Esparto-grass).—Esparto fibre is now manufactured into Paper (q.v.) on a great scale. For this purpose it is extremely well suited, being fine and strong, with a tendency to curl. Until comparatively recently much of the esparto-grass of commerce was supposed to be the Lygeum spartum, an allied plant.
Musa textilis (Manilla hemp).—The chief use of this fibre is in ropemaking, but matting is also made from it on a considerable scale in Dundee. It is prepared from the leaf-stalks of a wild plantain growing in the Philippine Islands.
FIBRE FROM AN ACROGENOUS PLANT, Cibotium barometz (Pulu fibre).—The fibre so called surrounds the stalks of the fronds (leaves) of the plant, which is a fern growing in the Sandwich Islands. This fibre, like some of those occurring as hairs on seeds, is called 'vegetable silk.' It is used in the United States and Australia for stuffing in upholstery work.