As known, the range of the textile fibres available on the market is at present rather extended. It includes in fact both natural and man-made fibres, which last were created about 100 years ago to the end of making up for the increased demand deriving both from the progressive improvement in the living standard and from the considerable growth of world population.
The natural fibres are divided, according to their origin, into animal (silk, wool, etc.) and vegetable (cotton, flax jute, etc.) fibres. Man-made fibres are divided into artificial (mostly originating from cellulose) and synthetic (from synthesis products) fibres.
In 1998 the world production of textile fibres amounted to over 47 million tons, which means a (potential) per capita consumption of about 8 kilos per year.
After the severe downturn of the world economy in the years 1992-93, in 1994 there was a recovery in textile production and consumption which went on, even if not at such a bright pace, also in the subsequent two years.
While cotton production depends substantially on the climatic conditions of the major producer countries and is therefore subject to heavy fluctuations (even up to 10%), the wool production is by now more or less stable since several years.
On the contrary the production of synthetic fibres, which in 1993 exceeded for the first time that of cotton, continued to grow, even if at a lower rate, in the following years to the extent that the synthetic fibre production exceeds nowadays that of the other fibres altogether.
Finally, as far as the production of artificial fibres is concerned, this is since some years slowly but steadily decreasing and accounts at present for only 4,6% of the global world fibre production.
