Introduction

For millennia, humans have been using fibers and textiles. The most common product is clothing, which is also the most important in terms of amount of production. Textiles were and still are being used for medical applications, such as a wound dressing made from silk in Roman times. Today, parts of organs, blood vessels, and ligaments are produced using textile structures. Without fiber-reinforced composites, modern aircraft production would not be possible, and in the house and road building industries, fibers and textiles are increasingly being used (Fig. 1.1). Filters are made from textile structures using a wide range of textile materials ranging from polymers (like polyester) to steel.