Fibers

Abaca

A fiber found in the leaf of the abaca plant. Musa Textilis - A member of the same family as banana. The fiber is also called Manila Hemp, and is used extensively in the manufacture of marine cordage, abrasive backing papers, tea bags, and other products requiring very high tensile strength.

Bagasse

The crushed stalks of sugar cane after the sugar has been extracted.

Bamboo

Bambusa, a giant woody grass, often reaching a height of forty feet or more, found in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Eastern Hemisphere. It also has been grown successfully in certain parts of the Southern United States. The fibers closely resemble those from straw in many of their characteristics. Its fibers have an average length of 2.4mm, thus standing between softwood and hardwood fibers.

Cotton

A plant of the genus Gossypium, which yields fiber for the manufacture of durable and permanent fine papers and cellulose derivatives. The boll of the cotton plant is a capsule that bursts open when ripe, allowing the seed and attached lint (hairs) to be easily picked. The cotton fiber is removed from the seed by the ginning process. (See also Cotton Linters)

Cotton Linters

The short fibers adhering to cotton seed after the operation of ginning (seed removal and cleaning). These fibers are cut from the seed in a series of passes through cutting blades, and are therefore referred to as, "first - cut linters," "second - cut linters," "mill run," etc. Linters are used in the manufacture of cotton fiber content paper and cellulose derivatives.

Esparto

Stipa tenacissima, a coarse grass grown in Southern Spain and Northern Africa, containing short fibers which are usually extracted by alkaline pulping processes. Esparto pulp is most often used in the production of book papers. Esparto is also known as Alfa, Esparto grass and Spanish Grass.

Flax

The bast fiber of the Flax plant (Linum usitatissimum) has been the source of linen for several millennia. Linen rags, cuttings, threads, etc., have long been used in papermaking. More recently the straw from flax cultivated for seed has been used for the manufacture of cigarette paper and similar papers.

True Hemp

Cannabis sativa, a plant grown in nearly all the temperate countries of the world. It furnishes a bast fiber, obtained by a retting process, which is used for rope and textiles. Some of the fiber enters the paper industry as waste material. The term hemp has also come to be used in a generic sense as fiber and then preceded by an adjective, for example, Manila Hemp (See Abaca), Sisal Hemp (See Sisal).

Kenaf

An annual plant (Hibiscus cannabinus), originally from the East Indies but now widespread, of which the fiber can be used for paper pulp and for cordage.

Ramie

A plant of the nettle family native to tropical Asia, but cultivated in other sufficiently warm regions. The botanical name is Boehmeria nivea. The bast fiber from the decorticated material is commercially known as China Grass and is used as a textile fiber. It is also a potential source of papermaking fibers.

Rayon

Rayon (Viscose) - a manufactured fiber composed of regenerated cellulose in which substituents have replaced not more than 15 percent of the hydrogen of the hydroxyl group.

Sisal

Sisal (Agave sisalana), and the fiber obtained from its leaves, used for hard fiber cordage. Native to Central America, it is grown extensively in the West Indies and Africa. It is used in various papers requiring high strength characteristics. The fiber has also been called Sisal Hemp.

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Abaca
A fiber found in the leaf of the abaca plant. Musa Textilis - A member of the same family as banana. The fiber is also called Manila Hemp, and is used extensively in the manufacture of marine cordage, abrasive backing papers, tea bags, and other products requiring very high tensile strength.

Bagasse
The crushed stalks of sugar cane after the sugar has been extracted.

Cotton
A plant of the genus Gossypium, which yields fiber for the manufacture of durable and permanent fine papers and cellulose derivatives. The boll of the cotton plant is a capsule that bursts open when ripe, allowing the seed and attached lint (hairs) to be easily picked. The cotton fiber is removed from the seed by the ginning process. (See also Cotton Linters)

Cotton Linters
The short fibers adhering to cotton seed after the operation of ginning (seed removal and cleaning). These fibers are cut from the seed in a series of passes through cutting blades, and are therefore referred to as, "first - cut linters," "second - cut linters," "mill run," etc. Linters are used in the manufacture of cotton fiber content paper and cellulose derivatives.

Esparto
Stipa tenacissima, a coarse grass grown in Southern Spain and Northern Africa, containing short fibers which are usually extracted by alkaline pulping processes. Esparto pulp is most often used in the production of book papers. Esparto is also known as Alfa, Esparto grass and Spanish Grass.

Flax
The bast fiber of the Flax plant (Linum usitatissimum) has been the source of linen for several millennia. Linen rags, cuttings, threads, etc., have long been used in papermaking. More recently the straw from flax cultivated for seed has been used for the manufacture of cigarette paper and similar papers.

Kenaf
An annual plant (Hibiscus cannabinus), originally from the East Indies but now widespread, of which the fiber can be used for paper pulp and for cordage.

Ramie
A plant of the nettle family native to tropical Asia, but cultivated in other sufficiently warm regions. The botanical name is Boehmeria nivea. The bast fiber from the decorticated material is commercially known as China Grass and is used as a textile fiber. It is also a potential source of papermaking fibers.

Rayon
Rayon (Viscose) - a manufactured fiber composed of regenerated cellulose in which substituents have replaced not more than 15 percent of the hydrogen of the hydroxyl group.

Sisal
Sisal (Agave sisalana), and the fiber obtained from its leaves, used for hard fiber cordage. Native to Central America, it is grown extensively in the West Indies and Africa. It is used in various papers requiring high strength characteristics. The fiber has also been called Sisal Hemp.