II. _Papermaking._--The papermaking industry (see PAPER) employs as raw
materials a large proportion of the vegetable fibre products already
enumerated, and, for the reasons incidentally mentioned, they may be,
and are, employed in a large variety of forms: in fact any fibrous
material containing over 30% "cellulose" and yielding ultimate fibres of
a length exceeding 1 mm. can be used in this industry. Most important
staples are cotton and flax; these are known to the paper-maker as "rag"
fibres, rags, i.e. cuttings of textile fabrics, new and old, being their
main source of supply. These are used for writing and drawing papers. In
the class of "printings" two of the most important staples are wood
pulp, prepared by chemical treatment from both pine and foliage woods,
and in England esparto cellulose, the cellulose obtained from esparto
grass by alkali treatment; the cereal straws are also used and are
resolved into cellulose by alkaline boiling followed by bleaching. In
the class of "wrappings" and miscellaneous papers a large number of
other materials find use, such as various residues of manufacturing and
preparing processes, scutching wastes, ends of rovings and yarns, flax,
hemp and manila rope waste, adansonia bast, and jute wastes, raw
(cuttings) and manufactured (bagging). Other materials have been
experimentally tried, and would no doubt come into use on their
papermaking merits, but as a matter of fact the actually suitable raw
materials are comprised in the list above enumerated, and are limited in
number, through the influence of a number of factors of value or
utility.
III. _Brush Fibres, &c._--In addition to the textile industries there
are manufactures which utilize fibres of both animal and vegetable
character. The most important of these is brush-making. The familiar
brushes of everyday use are extremely diversified in form and texture.
The supplies of animal fibres are mainly drawn from the badger, hog,
bear, sable, squirrel and horse. These fibres and bristles cover a large
range of effects. Brushes required for cleansing purposes are composed
of fibres of a more or less hard and resilient character, such as horse
hairs, and other tail hairs and bristles. For painting work brushes of
soft quality are employed, graduating for fine work into the extreme
softness of the "camel hair" pencil. Of vegetable fibres the following
are used in this industry. The _Caryota urens_ furnishes the Kittul
fibre, obtained from the base of the leaf stalks. Piassava is obtained
from the _Attalea funifera_, also from the _Leopoldina piassaba_
(Brazil). Palmyra fibre is obtained from the _Borassus flabellifer_.
These are all members of the natural order of the Palmaceae. Mexican
fibre, or Istle, is obtained from the agave. The fibre known as Whisk,
largely used for dusting brushes, is obtained from various species of
the Gramineae; the "Mexican Whisk" from _Epicampeas macroura_; and
"Italian Whisk" from _Andropogon_. The _coir_ fibre mentioned above in
connexion with coarse textiles is also extensively used in brush-making.
Aloe and Agave fibres in their softer forms are also used for
plasterers' brushes. Many of the whitewashes and cleansing solutions
used in house decoration are alkaline in character, and for such uses
advantage is taken of the specially resistant character of the cellulose
group of materials.
_Stuffing and Upholstery._--Another important use for fibrous materials
is for filling or stuffing in connexion with the seats and cushions in
upholstery. In the large range of effects required, a corresponding
number and variety of products find employment. One of the most
important is the floss or seed-hair of the _Eriodendron anfractuosum_,
known as Kapok, the use of which in Europe was created by the Dutch
merchants who drew their supplies from Java. The fibre is soft, silky
and elastic, and maintains its elasticity in use. Many fibres when used
in the mass show, on the other hand, a tendency to become matted and
compressed in use, and to restore them to their original state the fibre
requires to be removed and subjected to a teasing or carding process.
This defect limits the use of other "flosses" or seed hairs in
competition with Kapok. Horse hair is extensively used in this industry,
as are also wool flocks and other short animal hairs and wastes.
_Hats and Matting._--For these manufactures a large range of the fibrous
products above described are employed, chiefly in their natural or raw
state.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.--The list of works appended comprises only a small
fraction of the standard literature of the subject, but they are
sufficiently representative to enable the specialist, by referring to
them, to cover the subject-matter. F.H. Bowman, _The Structure of the
Wood Fibre_ (1885), _The Structure of Cotton Fibre_ (1882); Cross,
Bevan and King, _Indian Fibres and Fibrous Substances_ (London, 1887);
C.F. Cross, _Report on Miscellaneous Fibres_, Colonial Indian
Exhibition, 1886 (London, 1887); Cross and Bevan, _Cellulose,
Researches on Cellulose_, i. and ii. (London, 1895-1905); C.R. Dodge,
_A Descriptive Catalogue of Useful Fibre Plants of the World_ (Report
No. 9, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, 1897); von Hohmel, _Die
Mikroskopie der technisch verwendeten Faserstoffe_ (Leipzig, 1905);
J.J. Hummel, _The Dyeing of Textile Fabrics_ (London, 1885); J.M.
Matthews, _The Textile Fibres, their Physical, Microscopical and
Chemical Properties_ (New York, 1904); H. Muller, _Die Pflanzenfaser_
(Braunschweig, 1877); H. Schlichter, "The Examination of Textile
Fibres and Fabrics" (_Jour. Soc. Chem. Ind._, 1890, 241); M.
Vetillart, _Etudes sur les fibres vegetales textiles_ (Paris, 1876);
Sir T.H. Wardle, _Silk and Wild Silks_, original memoirs in connexion
with Col. Ind. Ex., 1886, Jubilee Ex. Manchester, 1887; Sir G. Watt,
_Dictionary of Economic Products of India_ (London, 1891); Wiesner,
_Die Rohstoffe des Pflanzenreichs_ (Leipzig, 1873); O.N. Witt,
_Chemische Technologie der Gespinnstfasern_ (Braunschweig, 1888); _Kew
Bulletin_; _The Journal of the Imperial Institute_; _The Journal of
the Society of Arts_; W.I. Hannam, _The Textile Fibres of Commerce_
(London, 1902); J. Jackson, _Commercial Botany_; J. Zipser, _Die
Textilen Rohmaterialien_ (Wien, 1895); F. Zetzsche, _Die wichtigsten
Faserstoffe der europaischen Industrie_ (Leipzig, 1895).
(C. F. C.)