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  ANNUAL 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1943 
  

  

  NEW 
  CLASSIFICATION 
  OF 
  MAN-MADE 
  FIBERS 
  

  

  Concurrent 
  with 
  these 
  facts 
  given 
  in 
  this 
  and 
  my 
  previous 
  paper 
  

   and 
  as 
  a 
  summary 
  thereto, 
  I 
  wish 
  to 
  present 
  a 
  new 
  classification 
  for 
  all 
  

   man-made 
  fibers, 
  which, 
  I 
  believe, 
  will 
  aid 
  in 
  clarifying 
  this 
  picture 
  

   and 
  serve 
  to 
  place 
  the 
  fibers 
  in 
  a 
  logical 
  grouping. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  past 
  few 
  years, 
  it 
  has 
  become 
  more 
  and 
  more 
  apparent 
  that 
  

   the 
  word 
  "synthetic" 
  is 
  not 
  the 
  best 
  or 
  an 
  all-inclusive 
  word 
  for 
  the 
  

   fibers 
  I 
  have 
  discussed 
  but 
  has 
  been 
  used 
  for 
  lack 
  of 
  another 
  or 
  more 
  

   suitable 
  word 
  or 
  words. 
  It 
  has 
  become 
  very 
  clear 
  to 
  me 
  that 
  we 
  have 
  

   now 
  two 
  distinct 
  types 
  or 
  groups 
  of 
  man-made 
  fibers. 
  

  

  One 
  large 
  group 
  distinctly 
  derives 
  from 
  natural 
  sources 
  such 
  as 
  wood 
  

   pulp, 
  cotton 
  linters, 
  cow's 
  milk, 
  soybeans, 
  peanuts, 
  and 
  silicate 
  glass. 
  

   I 
  should 
  like 
  to 
  term 
  these 
  "regenerated 
  natural 
  fibers." 
  (See 
  fig. 
  1.) 
  

   They 
  are 
  not 
  really 
  synthetic 
  at 
  all. 
  The 
  dictionary 
  defines 
  synthetic 
  as 
  

   "of 
  or 
  pertaining 
  to 
  synthesis" 
  and 
  again 
  synthesis 
  "is 
  the 
  art 
  or 
  

   process 
  of 
  making 
  a 
  compound 
  by 
  combining 
  elementary 
  ingredients." 
  

  

  Furthermore, 
  I 
  suggest 
  that 
  these 
  regenerated 
  natural 
  fibers 
  be 
  

   broken 
  down 
  into 
  three 
  distinct 
  subdivisions 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  bases 
  

   from 
  which 
  they 
  originate, 
  namely, 
  (a) 
  cellulosic 
  bases, 
  (6) 
  protein 
  

   bases, 
  (c) 
  mineral 
  or 
  inorganic 
  bases. 
  

  

  Under 
  the 
  cellulosic 
  bases 
  we 
  have, 
  first, 
  the 
  viscose 
  and 
  cuprate; 
  

   second, 
  the 
  cellulose 
  esters 
  ; 
  and 
  third, 
  the 
  cellulose 
  ethers, 
  all 
  in 
  fila- 
  

   mentous 
  and 
  fibrous 
  conditions. 
  

  

  Under 
  the 
  protein 
  bases, 
  we 
  have, 
  first, 
  the 
  animal 
  protein 
  fibers, 
  

   namely, 
  casein 
  and 
  Aralac; 
  and 
  second, 
  the 
  vegetable 
  protein 
  fibers, 
  

   where 
  we 
  have 
  soybean 
  and 
  peanut 
  fibers 
  and 
  others. 
  

  

  Under 
  the 
  mineral 
  or 
  inorganic 
  bases, 
  we 
  have 
  fiber 
  glass 
  (filament 
  

   and 
  staple) 
  and 
  the 
  mineral 
  wools, 
  such 
  as 
  rock 
  wool, 
  glass 
  wool, 
  and 
  

   slag 
  wool. 
  

  

  None 
  of 
  these 
  products 
  or 
  fibers 
  are 
  made 
  by 
  true 
  synthesis, 
  there- 
  

   fore 
  should 
  not 
  be 
  termed 
  synthetic 
  fibers 
  at 
  all. 
  I 
  should 
  like 
  to 
  

   recommend 
  that 
  we 
  drop 
  the 
  word 
  "synthetic" 
  entirely 
  for 
  this 
  group 
  

   at 
  least. 
  I 
  merely 
  suggested 
  the 
  words 
  "regenerated 
  natural 
  fibers" 
  

   because 
  to 
  regenerate 
  means 
  "to 
  produce 
  anew, 
  to 
  give 
  new 
  life, 
  

   strength, 
  or 
  vigor 
  to, 
  to 
  reproduce." 
  Is 
  that 
  not 
  exactly 
  what 
  we 
  do 
  

   with 
  these 
  fibers 
  ? 
  If 
  someone 
  can 
  think 
  of 
  a 
  more 
  appropriate 
  word, 
  

   I 
  should 
  be 
  delighted 
  to 
  substitute 
  it 
  for 
  the 
  above. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  second 
  main 
  group 
  of 
  man-made 
  fibers 
  belong 
  all 
  filaments 
  

   and 
  fibers 
  produced 
  by 
  a 
  combination 
  of 
  elementary 
  or 
  complex 
  chemi- 
  

   cals 
  through 
  synthesis, 
  polymerization, 
  copolymerization, 
  heat 
  treat- 
  

   ments, 
  stretch 
  and 
  setting 
  operations, 
  all 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  complicated, 
  

   strictly 
  chemical 
  processes. 
  Such 
  materials 
  as 
  nylon, 
  Vinyon, 
  saran, 
  

  

  