Focus on . . . Fibres
Fibre plants were amongst the first species to be cultivated as mankind learned to process them into textiles. And, despite the competition from the development of synthetics, many of these species continue to be of commercial importance today whilst other fibres have only local importance and are usually harvested from the wild. The most important plant and animal fibres have been those that can be processed to make the finest fabrics or used to provide cordage, rugs and packaging materials and tropical and sub-tropical regions continue to be the principal source of a wide range of plant fibres.
However, natural fibres have been, in recent years, the subject of intense research and development in the West. As a source of renewable raw materials, plant fibres, in particular, are being used in a diverse range of new products. In this month's edition of New Agriculturist we focus on some of the fibres that continue to be of importance in the tropics but are entering new markets, as well as those tropical fibres that are now being grown in more temperate regions.
With the rising cost of petroleum-based fibres, natural fibres are once more in fashion but not only for their use in textiles. Synthetics may be able to match the physical characteristics of plant fibres such as tensile strength and durability but the . . .
The world's finest fibres, prized above all others, are those that are soft, supple and sensuous and are produced from animals living at high altitudes. The thin mountain air, sparse vegetation and . . .
Coconut…life in the old tree yet
The multi millions of coconut palms that fringe tropical coasts was considered so versatile, producing food and drink, oil, animal feed, timber, thatch, and fibre for ropes, mats and mattresses that . . .
Marijuana, or psychotropic hemp, (Cannabis sativa L.) is widely known as a "recreational" drug but few appreciate the other uses and value of this plant, which has been cultivated since the time of ancient civilizations. Remnants of hemp . . .
Banana fibre - license to print money
Few paper products undergo more continuous handling and folding than currency notes and it is a significant expense for national banks to replace worn banknotes. A tribute to the tear and tensile strength of banana fibre . . .
Rattan collection from the wild is no longer the lucrative business for smallholder farmers that it once was. Recent limitations have been set to prevent the further depletion of rattan from the primary forests of Sumatra, but the . . .
Sunnhemp: fertilizer, fodder and fibre
Sunnhemp, one of the oldest known fibres of the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent, produces a strong bast fibre from its bark which has greater tensile strength and is more durable under exposure than jute. Sunn fibre is . . .
Jute is best known for its use in the manufacture of gunnysacks and twine although exports of the fibre have suffered from the advent of polypropylene alternatives. But the cost of synthetics has risen in recent years and . . .
Inky black hands after reading the morning newspaper may become a problem of the past with the development in the US of newsprint using kenaf fibre. With less yellowing, less ink rub off and significantly less energy . . .
