The Coexistence and Competition of Natural Fibres with Man-Made Fibres and Future Prospects

The fibrous plants can grow from Northern to Southern Arctic Circle. Different parts of these lignocellulosic plants are valuable sources of lignocellulosic fibres used in textiles and eco-friendly composites, sources of human food, nutrients, animal feed, agro-fine-chemicals for cosmetics and other area of application. That they are completely sustainable, renewable, and biodegradable and they recycle the carbon dioxide (CO2). Fibrous plants were well known to mankind more than 7 000 BC. Some of these bast fibrous plants like flax and hemp could be explored for reclaiming the soil polluted by heavy metals. The total production of all natural fibres is expected at the level 35-40 million tons/year. Special treatment and functionalization of these fibres provides new promising features and expected new properties of these fibres. Natural fibres can be processed for production of woven goods, knitting, nonwoven, technical and 3D textiles, also as the reinforcement of more friendly composites. These whole plants and woody parts (shives) and fibres can be used for production of special pulp and paper and seeds some for obtaining the agro-fine-chemicals. Natural fibres and derived products have very important properties like: excellent air permeability, high hygroscopicity, high heat absorption, no release of substances harmful for health, they not cause allergy effect, as well as safer behaviour in flame and fire combustion versus man-made fibres. The new emerging method of genetic modification (GM) of these fibrous plants provides promising performance e.g. higher level of cellulose, possibility of creating polyhydroxy-alcanate (PHA) natural polyester in statu nascendi. Such GM modified plants are resistant to special herbicides, better resistant to drought also with controlled level of lignin and pectin. In 21st century the coexistence and competition between man-made and natural fibres is stabilized, especially in area of quality, sustainability and economy of their production.