Fiberization

Fiberization is the process of converting bulk materials into fibers or fiber-like structures, creating elongated filaments with high aspect ratios. It applies to polymers, glasses, ceramics, and metals and yields continuous filaments or discrete staple fibers used to reinforce materials or to tailor properties such as strength, stiffness, porosity, and thermal behavior.

In polymers, fiberization typically uses extrusion-based spinning: melt spinning, dry spinning, and wet spinning, which force a polymer melt or solution through a spinneret to form fibers that are drawn to increase molecular orientation and strength. Melt blowing produces microfibers from the polymer melt, while electrospinning yields very fine fibers from solutions or melts.

In glass and ceramics, fibers are produced by drawing molten material through orifices to form continuous filaments that are collected and processed into textiles or composites. In metals, fibers are made by extrusion and drawing of filaments or by fragmentation and controlled recombination to yield fine metal fibers.

Applications include fiber-reinforced composites (polymer-, metal-, and ceramic-matrix systems), textiles and industrial yarns, filtration media, insulation, and reinforcement of concrete. Fiber dimensions and orientation influence mechanical performance, and surface treatments or sizing improve bonding with matrices.

Key challenges involve controlling diameter uniformity and defect levels, energy consumption, and cost. Ongoing research explores nano- and micro-fibers, sustainable feedstocks, and hybrid fibers to customize properties for specific applications.