Textile fibers are essential raw materials for producing various textile products and can be classified into natural and synthetic types based on their sources, polymer composition, and other characteristics. Major natural fibers include cotton, flax, jute, and wool, while synthetic fibers are derived from petrochemicals and include materials like nylon and polyester. Additionally, fibers can be categorized based on utility, thermoplasticity, and moisture absorption capabilities, impacting their processing and use in textiles.

1. Textile fiber is the basic and principle raw materials to produce various types of textile finished
products. A fiber that can be spun into yarn or processed into textile such as a woven fabric,
knit fabric, lace, felt, non-woven etc by means of an appropriate interlacing method is called as
textile fiber.
Classificationof Textile Fibers:
Generally textile fibers can be classified into main two types they are-Natural fiber and
Synthetic fiber or manmade fiber or artificial fiber. Textile fibers can also be classified in the
following ways:
1. Classification of textile fibers based on sources
2. Classification of textile fibers based on polymer
3. Classification of textile fibers according to their botanical, zoological or chemical name
4. Classification of textile fibers according to their utility
5. Classification of textile fibers according to their thermoplasticity
6. Classification of textile fibers according to their ability to absorb moisture
1. Classificationof Textile Fibers Based on Sources:
With this concept, the classification of fiber was established as per its source and it is
mentioned in Figure 2. The major natural fibers present around us from vegetable and natural
sources. There are around 15 important natural fibers available for processing and conversion
into fabrics. Those are discussed below.
Figure 2: Classificationof textile fibersbasedonsources

2. Vegetable sources:
Major fibers from vegetable sources are discussed below:
 Cotton: Cotton is most widely used natural fiber and consists of pure cellulose. It is
produced in China, Brazil, India, Pakistan, USA and Uzbekistan.
 Flax: Flax is a lignocellulosic bast fiber, mostly present in European Union. This fiber is
mostly used to make linen.
 Hemp: Hemp is also a lignocellulosic bast fiber with low quantity of lignin. The world’s
leading producer of hemp fiber is China.
 Jute: Jute is the strongest vegetable fiber from India and Bangladesh. It is also a
lignocellulosic fiber.
 Ramie: Ramie is also a lignocellulosic bast fiber mostly available in China and Brazil. It is
also known as China grass, with a silky luster and better elasticity.
 Sisal: Sisal is a hard and coarser leaf fiber, mostly available in Brazil, Tanzania and
Kenya.
 Abaca: Abaca is a leaf fiber, also known as manila hemp, extracted from leaf sheath
around the trunk of Musa textiles. The world’s major fibre producer is Philippines. Lignin
content in the fiber is about 15%.
 Coir: Coir is a hard, short and coarse fiber extracted from the shells of coconut. It is
mostly present in India, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Brazil. This fiber
contains highest amount of lignin making it stronger but less flexible.
Animal sources:
Major fibers from animal sources are discussed below:
 Alpaca: Alpaca is a hair fiber like wool, comes from the Lama Pocos. This fiber comes in
approximately 22 natural colors, produced mostly in Peru, North America, Australia and
New Zealand. It is stronger than wool fiber.
 Angora: Angora is a rabbit fiber, very soft, fine and silky. 90% of the fiber is produced in
China. Angora fabric is very suitable for thermal clothing.
 Camel hair: Camel hair is available from the two humped Bactrian camel mostly present
with nomadic households in Mongolia and inner Mongolia, China. It is the softest and
more premium hair fiber.
 Cashmere fiber: Cashmere fiber is available with Kashmir goats, in China, Australia,
India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Turkey and USA. It is a luxurious and expensive fiber.
 Mohair fiber: Mohair fiber is produced from Angora goat, available in South Africa. It is
a smooth and lustrous fiber.
 Silk: Silk is the natural filament fiber, with high lustre, mostly produced in China, Brazil,
India, Thailand and Vietnam.
 Wool: Wool is the most important protein fiber. It is the first domesticated fiber, mostly
produced in Australia, New Zealand, China, Iran, Argentina and UK.

3. Ground and petrochemical sources:
In addition to the collection of the fibers from the sources above the ground, there are fibers
from below the ground like metals. From World War II, there has been a thrust to produce
synthetic materials, mostly derived from petrochemicals. The manufactured fiber is termed as
‘synthetic fibers’ as the raw materials were available by synthesis followed by polymerization
and fiber formation. Synthetic fibers became the consequence of spectacular growth in
petrochemicals development and utilization. The growth in the development of synthetic fibers
and synthetic fiber industry along with polymer industry became phenomenal with the growth
of petrochemical industry.
2. Classification of Textile fibers Based on Polymer:
Polymer is a material constructed of smaller molecules of the same substance that form larger
molecules. The polymers are any of numerous natural and synthetic compounds of usually
high molecular weight and consisting of up to millions of repeated linked units, each a
relatively light and simple molecule.
The term is derived from the Greek words: ‘polumeres’, where polus meaning many, and
meros meaning parts. A key feature that distinguishes polymers from other molecules is the
repetition of many identical, similar or complementary molecular subunits in these chains.
Polymers, macromolecules, high polymers and giant molecules are basically same and consist
of high-molecular-weight materials composed of these repeating subunits. These materials
may be organic, inorganic or organometallic, and synthetic or natural in origin. Polymers are
essential materials for almost every industry such as adhesives, building materials, paper,
cloths, fibers, coatings, plastics, ceramics, concretes, liquid crystals, photo resists and coatings.
These polymers can be natural or synthetic and organic or inorganic. Organic polymers are
distinguished from inorganic polymers because of presence of carbon atom in the main chain.
Presence of totally carbon atoms termed as carbochain polymers. If the main chain consists of
other atoms with carbon, then it is termed as heterochain polymers. Natural inorganic
polymers include sand, asbestos, agates, feldspars, mica, quartz and talc.
Natural organic polymers include polysaccharides or polycarbohydrates such as starch and
cellulose, nucleic acids, lignin, rubber and proteins. Synthetic inorganic polymers include
boron nitride, concrete, many high-temperature superconductors and a number of glasses.
Synthetic organic polymers include fibers, plastics and coatings, such as polyethylene,
polypropylene, polyamides, polyesters, vinyl polymers, polyurethanes and synthetic rubbers.
Fibers are polymeric materials that are strong in one direction, and they are much longer
(>100 times) than their width. This is termed as l/d ratio. Elastomers or rubbers are polymeric
materials that can be distorted through the application of force, and when the force is
removed, the material returns to its original shape. Plastics are materials that have properties
between fibers and elastomers—they are hard and flexible.

4. The resources for natural fibers are also natural high molecular weight polymeric substances.
This means that both natural and synthetic fibers are polymeric materials. Based on the
polymeric materials present in fibers, all fibers can also be classified in the way, shown in
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Figure 3: Classification of textile fibers based on the polymer

5. 3. Classification of Textile Fibers According to Their Botanical,Zoological
or Chemical Name
 Vegetable fibers are grouped under botanical classification. They include cotton, jute, flax,
etc.
 Animal fibers are grouped under zoological classification. They include wool, silk and hair
fibers.
 Chemical name is given to the classification of fibers under man made fibers. The main
constituent chemicals and mode of their production is explained in brief, for example,
regenerated cellulose, polyamide linear macromolecules having in their chain the
recurring amide functional group, etc.
4. Classificationof Textile Fibers According to Their Utility:
The textile fibers can be broadly classified into two types under this category, viz.
a. Major textile fibers
b. Minor textile fibers
Major textile fibers are those which are widely used as textiles by the textile industry, e.g.,
cotton, wool, silk, jute, rayon, viscose rayon, acetate rayon, nylon, polyester, etc.
Minor textile fibers are those which are used to a very much less extent as textiles (by the
textile industry), e.g. banana fiber, abaca fibers, asbestos fibers, bamboo fiber, soybean
fibers, pineapple leaf fiber, metallic fiber, milk for casein fiber, alginate fibers, rubber,
etc.

6. 5. Classificationof Textile Fibers According to Their Thermoplasticity:
The textile fibers can also be classified into two types, viz.
a. Thermoplastic type
b. Non-thermoplastic type
Thermoplastic types are those which are deformable by heat and pressure, without
accompanying chemical changes. This suggests that the thermoplastic types of fibers can be
softened by heat, which means they can be moulded and heatset. The fibers which do not
possess the above characteristic are designated as non-thermoplastic.
Most of the synthetic fibers have thermoplastic properties. Regenerated acetate rayon may
melt when ironed hot, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) fibers are most heat sensitive type. Some
synthetic fibers have thermoplastic properties which are more pronounced than those of
acetate, notably polyamide and polyester.
This property of thermoplasticity is used to heatset fabrics made from them and confer on
them the dimensional stability. Also this quality is used to convert these fibers into new type of
yarn such as Textured Yarn.
6. Classificationof Textile Fibers According to Their Ability to Absorb
Moisture:
From the point of view of wet processing the ability to bleach, mercerize, dye and give different
finishes using chemicals to textile materials successfully depends on the ability to absorb
moisture. The fibers which absorb moisture are called Hygroscopic or Hydrophilic fibers.
Hydrophilic fibers are characterized by the presence of hydrophilic groups which attract water.
For example, all the natural fibers have groups in their molecules which attract water.
Moisture absorption of hydrophilic fibers is higher than hydrophobic fibers.
Hydrophobic fibers are those which do not readily absorb moisture. All synthetic fibers, so far
produced, contain very few water attracting groups. Absence of water attracting groups
accounts for their low moisture absorption. The fibers which have lower moisture absorption
are difficult to dye and bleach. Another disadvantage is that they develop static electricity
charges quicker than hydrophilic fibers. This is an important factor which is responsible for
some troubles during mechanical processing of fibers.