Wear Fruity Clothing With Banana Fibres

Banana plant is endowed with virtuous fibres which has versatile applications. Though, the plant is more popular for its fruit, it has been a source of high quality fibre which is used to manufacture textiles. Banana shoots produce fibres with varying softness used for making different products. This plant is a good source of quality textiles.

Making of the Fibre
The stem of the banana plant is cut and processed. The skin is then peeled off, and fibres are extracted. The extracted fibre is cooked in a big pot of boiling lye, an alkali solution. After cooking for several hours, it is then washed to remove the alkali. Using a tool, the fibre is removed from the skin. Soft fibres are used for weft, while the hard fibres are used for the warp. The fibres are immersed in water and squeezed lightly. They are then separated by running nails along the fibres from the root moving upwards. Individual fibres are joined together to make one continuous thread. This is a tedious and time consuming job requiring much patience.
The extracted fibres are made wet to avoid breaking, and are spun in a spinning wheel. The thread is now dyed steamed and dyed. After dyeing, the thread is laid out according to the design and passed through a temporary reed. The ward is wounded onto the beam and passed through the reed and heddle. The thread is moistened frequently to avoid breaking while weaving. Once the cloth is woven, it is washed, and boiled in an alkali solution. Later it is washed, dried, and neutralized in rice vinegar solution. Finally, the cloth is washed again, dried and ironed.

Applications of the Fibre
Papers made from banana fibres have good market in 25 international countries including Europe. These papers are chemical free, and posses' eco friendly qualities, with longevity of 700 years. Apart from this table mats, bags, runners, coasters, and floor mats are also made from banana fibres. In Japan, these fibres are used for making traditional dresses like kimono. Its light weight and skin friendly virtues have made it a preferential choice for summer wear. In home textile segment, this fibre finds its way in cushion covers, curtains, and table cloths.
Fibre2fashion had an opportunity to interact with Dr. C K Narayana, Principal Scientist at NRCB. He elaborated about the virtues of banana fibre, and their potential applications. He says, "The fibre is essentially made from banana plant stem which is considered as a waste material after harvesting. Although, there are a few available machines to extract banana fibre, there is a lack of adequate methodology to make yarn from the fibre."

International Market for Banana fibre products
Banana is mainly cultivated in more than 107 countries all over the world. What are the prospects for this fibre gaining global spotlight? Dr. Rajan P Nachane, Principle Scientist and Head, Quality Evaluation & Improvement Division of Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, says, "Being completely biodegradable and naturally occurring, the banana fibre products are expected to be in great demand in the international markets as they pose no toxic effects to man and the environment. A number of value added textile products can be made which in turn would enhance the profitability of banana farming. Banana fibres can be made available at cheap rate for preparation of fancy articles as well as textiles".

Source : articlesbase