Question

The first fully synthetic fiber was ______.

Answer 1

Hint: To answer this question, you should recall the concept of preparation of synthetic fibres. Fibres can be generally defined as the thread-like structures that are thin, long, and flexible strands. The two main sources of Fibres are plants and animals. The first fibre is used in ropes, textiles etc.

Complete step by step answer:
Fibres can be majorly classified in two types:
1. Natural Fibres: The Fibres obtained naturally from both plants and animals are termed as the Natural Fibres. These Fibres are hair-like raw material directly obtainable from different plants and animals.
2. Man-Made Fibres: These fibers are artificially synthesized by humans within the industries in which the polymers are designed to make fabrics by the application of simple chemicals. The polymers are a macromolecule, which are obtained or composed of joining small, repeated subunits together. Rayon and Nylon are the best examples of Synthetic Fibres. Others include Acrylic, polyester, and acetate.

The first fully synthetic fiber was nylon. It is prepared from coal, water and air.

Note:
You should know that the Man-made fibres are further classified as: Regenerated fibres, Synthetic fibres and Inorganic fibres.
- Regenerated Fibres: These fibres are also known as semi-synthetic fibres. These are made of long-chain polymers which are modified by a chemical process to enable polymerization to form fibres. For example, viscose rayon, bamboo.
- Synthetic Fibres: These fibres are formed by the polymerization of monomers. Once a polymer is formed, it is converted into a fluid form. The dissolved or molten polymer is extruded through narrow holes to give filaments. For example, polyester, acrylic, nylon.
- Inorganic Fibres: These are also known as metallic fibres. They are obtained from copper, silver, gold, and can be extruded from nickel, iron, etc.