International Year of Natural Fibres

International Year of Natural Fibres (http://www.naturalfibres2009.org/)

Abaca - Once a favoured source of rope, abaca shows promise as an energy-saving replacement for glass fibres in automobiles Coir - A coarse, short fibre extracted from the outer shell of coconuts, coir is found in ropes, mattresses, brushes, geotextiles and automobile seats Cotton - Pure cellulose, cotton is the world's most widely used natural fibre and still the undisputed "king" of the global textiles industry Flax - One of nature's strongest vegetable fibres, flax was also one of the first to be harvested, spun and woven into textiles Hemp - Recent advances in the "cottonization" of hemp fibre could open the door to the high quality clothing market Jute - The strong threads made from jute fibre are used worldwide in sackcloth - and help sustain the livelihoods of millions of small farmers Ramie - Ramie fibre is white, with a silky lustre, and is one of the strongest natural fibres, similar to flax in absorbency and density Sisal - Too coarse for clothing, sisal is replacing glass fibres in composite materials used to make cars and furniture

Alpaca wool - Alpaca is used to make high-end luxury fabrics, with world production estimated at around 5 000 tonnes a year Angora wool - The silky white wool of the Angora rabbit is very fine and soft, and used in high quality knitwear Camel hair - The best fibre is found on the Bactrian camels of Mongolia and Inner Mongolia, and baby camel hair is the finest and softest Cashmere - Cashmere is exceptionally soft to the touch owing to the structure of its fibres and has great insulation properties without being bulky Mohair - White, very fine and silky, mohair is noted for its softness, brightness and receptiveness to rich dyes Silk - Developed in ancient China, where its use was reserved for royalty, silk remains the "queen of fabrics" Wool - Limited supply and exceptional characteristics have made wool the world's premier textile fibre