Textile Glossary

High-performance fibers

Definition

High-performance fibers are technical fibers with exceptional mechanical, thermal, or chemical properties that significantly exceed those of conventional textile fibers. Examples include carbon, aramid, and glass fibers. They are typically characterized by very high strength and stiffness at low weight.

Use in the textile industry

High-performance fibers are used primarily in technical textiles and composite materials — for example, in aerospace, automotive engineering, protective clothing, and sports equipment. The choice of fiber depends largely on the required property profile, such as heat resistance, tensile strength, or cut resistance.

Learn textile knowledge in context

You have just looked up a single technical term. In textil trainer, you learn how textile materials, processes, and contexts are connected.

The free learning platform teaches textile fundamentals step by step in interactive online courses. Each online course includes its own glossary with the most important terms of the respective topic. Across all courses, more than 600 textile terms with narrated explanations are available.

textil trainer is developed together with the Chair of Textile Technologies at Chemnitz University of Technology, chemmedia AG, and companies and educational institutions from the textile sector.

Register for free and access all online courses

Learn more about the project

Frequently asked question

High-performance fibers offer significantly greater strength, stiffness, or heat resistance at low weight. This makes them suitable for technical applications where standard textile fibers are not sufficient.

View the entire glossary