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Introduction to the science of fibers 19
1.6 Conclusions
The use of fibers has been intimately linked with the development of human society.
For most of man’s existence the fibers that have been used have been found in the
structures of plants or obtained from animals. Synthetic fibers developed in the 20th
century have sought not only to imitate natural fibers but also to expand their range
of use and in so doing have created new opportunities for technological advances.
The result is that today there exists a very wide range of fibers, made up of a very
wide range of materials, which are available both for the more traditional uses in
clothing and also for the most advanced engineering structures. All these very different
fibers possess many traits in common. They are usually light in weight and for the most
part have very small diameters, so that they are flexible helping not only their conver-
sion into cloth but also the placing of advanced synthetic fibers in the manufacture of
some of the most recent sophisticated engineering structures. Their very fineness re-
sults in many of the fibers possessing remarkable mechanical properties that in turn
reflect their intricate, often aligned, atomic or molecular structures. Often these prop-
erties cannot be obtained with the same material in bulk form. Fibers require special
testing techniques because of their fineness and even have their own units for defining
their properties. The uses to which fibers are put today are not only those of their tradi-
tional past markets but their development through the scientific understanding of fibers
has allowed new and innovative markets to emerge on which present day society de-
pends. This can only continue.
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