Introduction
=> The clothes that we wear are made up of fabrics and the fabrics are made from fibers, which is obtained from natural or artificial sources.
=> The natural source of fibers is cotton, wool, silk, etc., which are obtained from plants or animals.
=> The synthetic fibers are made by human beings; therefore, these are called synthetic or man-made fibers.
=> A synthetic fiber is usually a chain of small units those joined together; each small unit is a chemical substance.
Types of Synthetic Fibers
=> The artificial silk is usually known as Rayon.
=> Rayon (fiber) was obtained by chemical treatment of wood pulp.
=> The fiber, prepared from coal, water and air, is known as Nylon.
=> Nylon was the first fully synthetic fiber.
=> Polyester is also a synthetic fiber; it is wrinkle free fiber. E.g. Terylene.
=> PET is one of the familiar form of polyesters and it is used for making utensils, bottles, films, wires, and many other useful products.
=> Polyester (Poly + ester) is made up of the repeating units of a chemical known as an ester.
=> Plastic is also a sort of polymer like the synthetic fiber.
=> Polythene (Poly + ethene) is a common example of a plastic.
=> There are some plastics, which when molded once, cannot be softened by heating; therefore, these are known as thermosetting plastics. E.g. Bakelite and melamine.
=> Bakelite is a poor conductor of heat and electricity; therefore, it is used in making electrical switches, handles of various utensils, etc.
=> Melamine resists fire and can tolerate heat better than other plastics; therefore, it is used for making floor tiles, kitchenware, and fabrics.
=> A material, which gets decomposed through the natural processes, e.g. action by bacteria, is known as biodegradable.
=> A material, which cannot be easily decomposed by natural processes, is known as non-biodegradable.
=> Plastic is not an environment friendly.