Technically, a metal fiber can be defined as a manufactured fiber composed of metal.
plastic-coated metal, metal-coated plastic or a core completely covered by metal.
In other words, a metal fiber is any fiber produced from metals, which may be alone
or in conjunction with other substances.
A metal fiber can be distinguished from a metal filament by its diameter. For example.
within Huitong, filaments below 100 um in diameter are considered as fibers
Metallic filaments and yarns have been used for more than 3000 years. Gold and silver were hammered into extremely thin sheets, cut into ribbons and worked into fabrics. Examples include magnificent Persian carpets and Indian ornamental sarees. Down through the centuries, kings and queens have worn garments that have glittered with gold and silver fibers twisted or wrapped around cotton or some other thread.
In the mid-20th century, the more industrialized use of metal fibers in various applications began, when the Dobeckmum Company produced the first modern metal fiber in 1946.
During the early 1960s, Brunswick Corp. conducted a research program to develop an economical process for forming metallic filaments. They started producing metallic filaments in a laboratory-scale pilot plant. By 1964 Brunswick was producing fine metal fibers as small as 1µm from 304 type stainless steel. Their 750,000 lb.-per-year metal filament plant in Michigan, USA was brought on stream in 1966. Metal fibers are now widely produced and used in all kinds of technology. It’s a mature sector with a wide range of applications.
