Recent Developments in High Performance Fibres By - Fibre2fashion

Recent Developments in High Performance Fibres
By: Aravin Prince P
The development of special fibers is the consequence of merging fundamentals scientific and
technical knowledge, as there is a quest for high performance fibres. Thus, constant and
continued endeavors of fibre scientists jointly ventured with material technologies had made
dreams into reality. These special fibres totally provide the potential for providing new
technology.
Over the last 5 years the global fibre market has moved further into a global commodity market. This change
is redefining and accelerating global trade patterns at all levels of the high value chain. The development of
special fibers is the consequence of merging fundamentals scientific and technical knowledge, as there is a
quest for high performance fibres. Thus, constant and continued endeavors of fibre scientists jointly
ventured with material technologies had made dreams into reality. These special fibres totally provide the
potential for providing new technology. Over all world textiles, challenging a continued growth of hi-tech
fibres in various fields. These fibres have high tenacity, high strength to weight ratio which are the
prerequisites characteristics of industrial textiles.
These find applications in every walk of life including Space, Ocean, composites, aircrafts, defense
automobile and many more. Our present paper deals with these special fibres and explores the wealth of
their properties and application.
Introduction
Up to this time, two types of fibers have been available to human society, natural fibers that have existed for
4000 years and synthetic fibers. Artificial silk invented was a human dream. Then nylon introduced was finer
than spider's thread, stronger than steel and more elegant than silk.
Today synthetic fibers are not a mere alternative to natural fibers but are new materials of high functionality
and high performance, which play a key role in the field of high technology. These new materials can be
designed and produced according to nature of their utilization. Synthetic fibers are made to replace natural
fibers and to some extent it is succeeded. High performance fibers are developed now days fibers of high
modulus and high strength can now be produced from synthetic polymers of light wt and are widely
employed in space. Due to limitations of natural fibers, synthetic fibers are developed and now-a-days
developments are done in the fibers to achieve desired properties.
The need for ultra light fibers of high strength is increasing as high technology responds to changes in the
social environment so; developments are going on in the synthetic fibers. In future decades, metals are
expected to be replaced by newly developed synthetic fibers, which can be superior to metal with respect to
their strength and modulus. In all the fields, there is wide application of fibers.
Kevlar: Application cables, rope making, fiber reinforcement, Industrial paper, friction products, thermo
chromic fiber changes color as per environmental conditions.
Solar- X: Stores solar energy
BEMBERG Micro-porous Membrane (BMM): Diagnosis and treatment of AIDS
High Performance Fibres
High performance fibres refer to high strength, high modulus, and wear resistant deformation resistant and
high temperature resistant fibres. The high performance fibre industry is targeting those areas which are the
domain of glass, polyester and nylon fibre reinforcements. Major applications for the high performance fibres
are transportation, aerospace, protective clothing, marine (ropes and sails), hostile thermal and chemical
environments (replacement for asbestos) and leisure activities industries (golf clubs and tennis rackets).
Some of the successful high performance fibres are mentioned below.