Natural Products, SPI-YAR
Before the era of plastics and the creation of countless other man-made compounds, industrious humans depended on naturally occurring resources. Unprocessed or minimally processed products are still important to today’s modern industry.
Natural Products Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Spinning jenny
Spinning jenny, early multiple-spindle machine for spinning wool or cotton, invented by James Hargreaves in England......
spinning mule
spinning mule, Multiple-spindle spinning machine invented by Samuel Crompton (1779), which permitted large-scale......
spinning wheel
spinning wheel, early machine for turning fibre into thread or yarn, which was then woven into cloth on a loom.......
spruce
spruce, (genus Picea), genus of about 40 species of evergreen ornamental and timber trees in the conifer family......
stinging nettle
stinging nettle, (Urtica dioica), weedy perennial plant of the nettle family (Urticaceae), known for its stinging......
sunn
sunn, (Crotalaria juncea), annual plant of the pea family (Fabaceae) and its fibre, one of the bast fibre group.......
sycamore
sycamore, any of several distinct trees. In the United States it refers especially to the American plane tree (Platanus......
taffeta
taffeta, fine, crisp plain-woven fabric with a faint weft, or filling-way, rib due to the greater number of warp......
tallow
tallow, odourless, tasteless, waxy white fat, consisting of suet (the hard fat about the kidneys and loins of cattle,......
Tan, Lucio
Lucio Tan is a Chinese-born Filipino entrepreneur who headed such companies as Fortune Tobacco Corp., Asia Brewery,......
tannin
tannin, any of a group of phenolic compounds in woody flowering plants that are important deterrents to herbivores......
tanning
tanning, chemical treatment of raw animal hide or skin to convert it into leather. A tanning agent displaces water......
Tatami
Tatami, rectangular mat used as a floor covering in Japanese houses. It consists of a thick straw base and a soft,......
tea tree oil
tea tree oil, essential oil derived from the tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), a species of tall shrub or tree......
Teak
Teak, (genus Tectona grandis), large deciduous tree of the family Verbenaceae, or its wood, one of the most valuable......
textile
textile, any filament, fibre, or yarn that can be made into fabric or cloth, and the resulting material itself.......
- Introduction
- Pre-Columbian, Weaving, Dyeing
- Manufacturing, Fibers, Processes
- Spinning, Weaving, Dyeing
- Spinning, Weaving, Dyeing
- Spun, Knitted, Weaving
- Clothing, Upholstery, Industrial
- Weaving, Spinning, Dyeing
- Weaving, Looms, Yarns
- Weaving, Looms, Fabrics
- Jacquard, Weaving, Automation
- Weaving, Knitting, Looms
- Weaves, Fabrics, Patterns
- Weaving, Patterns, Fabrics
- Jacquard Weave, Patterning, Looms
- Weft Knitting, Loops, Yarns
- Warp Knitting, Weaving, Fabrics
- Braiding, Plaiting, Weaving
- Finishing, Dyeing, Printing
- Dyeing, Printing, Finishing
- Softening, Raising, Napping
- Finishes, Performance, Durability
- Moth Repellent, Treatments, Fibers
- Dyeing, Printing, Finishing
- Printing, Dyeing, Weaving
- Consumption, Manufacturing, Fibers
thimble
thimble, small, bell-shaped implement designed to protect the end of the finger when sewing. Among the earliest......
thread
thread, tightly twisted ply yarn having a circular cross section and used in commercial and home sewing machines......
tie-dyeing
tie-dyeing, method of dyeing by hand in which coloured patterns are produced in the fabric by gathering together......
Today in History—April 28: Chinese Tomb Discovery Upends the History of Paper
Picture Indiana Jones swapping his fedora for a Han dynasty helmet, dodging booby traps in dusty Chinese tombs.......
Today in History—October 11: The AIDS Memorial Quilt Goes on Display
After his best friend died of AIDS, activist Cleve Jones channeled his grief into a sewing project that became......
toile de Jouy
toile de Jouy, cotton or linen printed with designs of landscapes and figures for which the 18th-century factory......
tweed
tweed, any of several fabrics of medium-to-heavy weight, rough in surface texture, and produced in a great variety......
twill
twill, one of the three basic textile weaves, producing a fabric with a diagonal rib, ridge, or wale. In regular......
twisting
twisting, in yarn and rope production, process that binds fibres or yarns together in a continuous strand, accomplished......
upholstery
upholstery, materials used in the craft of covering, padding, and stuffing seating and bedding. The earliest upholsterers,......
urena
urena, (Urena lobata), plant of the family Malvaceae; its fibre is one of the bast fibre group. The plant, probably......
velvet
velvet, in textiles, fabric having a short, dense pile, used in clothing and upholstery. The term derives from......
velveteen
velveteen, in textiles, fabric with a short, dense pile surface and a smooth back, usually made of cotton and resembling......
Veneer
Veneer, extremely thin sheet of rich-coloured wood (such as mahogany, ebony, or rosewood) or precious materials......
Watermark
Watermark, design produced by creating a variation in the thickness of paper fibre during the wet-paper phase of......
wax
wax, any of a class of pliable substances of animal, plant, mineral, or synthetic origin that differ from fats......
weaving
weaving, production of fabric by interlacing two sets of yarns so that they cross each other, normally at right......
What is the difference between cotton and polyester?
Cotton and polyester can both be made into fabrics, but they are otherwise very different. Cotton is a natural......
What is the difference between silk and satin?
The terms silk and satin are often used to describe fabrics, and though the fabrics can be distinct from one another,......
What’s the difference between jeans and denim?
The terms jeans and denim are often used interchangeably, but, strictly speaking, jeans refers to the garment and......
white cedar
white cedar, in the lumber trade, any American arborvitae (q.v.), some species of false cypress (q.v.), and McNab......
Why do radishes taste spicy?
Crisp and refreshing, a radish can pack a little kick. If your palate is sensitive, you may perceive its similarities......
Why is a dollar called a buck?
The word buck as a term for the U.S. dollar dates back to the 1700s, when deer hides, or buckskins, were often......
Why is cashmere expensive?
Cashmere is derived from the soft undercoat of the Kashmir goat, a breed that produces a limited amount of this......
wood
wood, the principal strengthening and nutrient-conducting tissue of trees and other plants and one of the most......
- Introduction
- Harvesting, Uses, Structure
- Uses, Structure, Properties
- Plywood, Laminated, Manufacturing
- Treatments, Structure, Properties
- Cellulose, Lignin, Sugars
- Strength, Structure, Uses
- Cellulose, Lignin, Tracheids
- Strength, Density, Hardness
- Hygroscopicity, Structure, Uses
- Thermal Properties
- Bark, Bark Products, Uses
wood tar
wood tar, liquid obtained as one of the products of the carbonization, or destructive distillation, of wood. There......
wool
wool, animal fibre forming the protective covering, or fleece, of sheep or of other hairy mammals, such as goats......
worsted knitting yarn
worsted knitting yarn, wool yarn made of long-staple fibres that have been combed to remove undesirable short fibres......
yarn
yarn, continuous strand of fibres grouped or twisted together and used to construct textile fabrics. A brief treatment......