What Is Short Fiber?
Short fiber is a general term for short fibers, which are the raw materials used to make yarn.
Most natural fibers such as cotton and hemp are examples. When making yarn, short fibers are twisted together, resulting in yarns with large volume and high bulk. When the yarn is created, the untwisted portions protrude, giving it a fluffy appearance. Yarns made from Short Fiber are also collectively called spun yarns.
Uses of Short Fiber
Short fiber is not used as it is. Short fibers are twisted together to make spun yarn before being used.
Spun yarns are widely known as sewing threads worldwide and are characterized by their good fit to fabrics and ease of sewing. Today, spun yarns are used for sewing a wide variety of fabrics, including knit products, clothing, and towels. Spun yarns with a strong fluffiness are said to have a gentler feel against the skin.
Types of Short Fiber
Short fiber is a type of fiber that is shorter in length. In general, when classifying fibers, they are divided into natural fibers and synthetic fibers.
Natural fibers are fibers derived from natural sources. Typical examples are cotton made from cotton, linen made from plant fibers, and wool made from wool. Chemical fibers are fibers produced by chemical synthesis. They are divided into three types: regenerated fibers, semi-synthetic fibers, and synthetic fibers.
Typical examples of regenerated fibers are cupro made from rayon or cotton linter. Semi-synthetic fibers are acetate, and synthetic fibers are nylon and polyester. Most of the natural fibers fall under the category of short fiber.
Synthetic fibers fall into the category of both short fiber and long fiber because it is possible to adjust the length of the fiber when it is made. Among natural fibers, silk falls under the category of long fibers and should be treated with caution.