While the entire world is going ecological, its time fruits
find creative applications, apart from eating!
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."
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