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Fibers 2013, 1(1), 1-1; doi:10.3390/fib1010001
Fibers are materials in the form of elongated threads. They can possess elastic features that are relevant to the integrity and bonding of cells. These features also give man-made fibers a wide range of applications. The large ratio of length to width (aspect ratio), which defines fibers, strongly influences their physical and chemical properties. This quality gives them a relatively large surface area, which can lead to powerful tensile and absorptive characteristics, which are remarkably different from, and cannot be predicted by study of the non-fibrous parent materials. An example of this is asbestos, where the toxicity of the material is heavily influenced by its structural anatomy. Distinctive chemical processes can take place on fibrous surfaces that may themselves seem to be chemically inert. Certain commonalities result from the distinctive geometry of fibers, and lie behind the apparently great diversity of fiber types and materials.
The underlying focus of Fibers journal is the unification across a wide range of fields, of information concerning fibers. This is an area where scientists who might not ordinarily consider themselves to be working in the same area, can come together and contribute to each other’s specialty. This journal is intended as a platform for such, often serendipitous, interactions. The need for an integrated platform such as Fibers is suggested by the increasing development of new types of fibrous materials for many hitherto unforeseen applications, and recognition of potential hazards as well as benefits of these novel and distinctive molecular assemblies.
The study of fibers is obviously an area that calls for exchange of knowledge between disciplines, and this journal has been specifically developed with the goal of facilitating such dialogs. It is my pleasure to introduce this new journal Fibers and to invite you to consider making a contribution to it. We look forward to your reports and ideas in this highly interactive area.
© 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).