Fiberize

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Fiberization is a manufacturing method used to make fibrous materials. It’s used for insulation, asphalt additives, and mineral wool, and it’s also how optical fiber cables are made. In fiberization, a material that can be drawn into fibers (often molten plastic or glass) is melted and pushed through many tiny openings to form a mass of fibers. After extrusion, the fibers are processed further, such as by grouping or bundling.

The most common form is rotary fiberization, which uses centrifugal force. A hollow spinning wheel filled with molten material ejects fibers through its small holes. The wheel must vent hot gases, sometimes through a central bore-axle slit. As the material is flung out, a sharp blade cuts it into fibers. The fibers are collected and then bundled or otherwise processed.

New research shows that silicate melts can be fiberized in an acoustic field, producing ultra-fine fibers with exciting potential for microelectronics.