Are natural fibers more absorbant than un-natural fibers?

Question

Are natural fibers more absorbant than un-natural fibers?

Answer 1

natural fibers tend to be more hydrophillic, and artificial fibers are usually polymers of long hydrocarbon chains, which are more hydrophobic (repell water) so the answer is yes.

Answer 2

This depends upon the specific chemistry of the fiber, fiber size, and the weave of the cloth. Most natural fibers do absorb water well and many synthetic fibers absorb water poorly but it is possible to engineer synthetic fibers to absorb water much better than any natural fiber. That has been done and they are used often in cleaning and hygiene products. Polyacrylate is an example of a plastic used to make super absorbent products. I did a search on "super absorbent" onGoogle. Check it out. You will see examples of primarily synthetic fibers.