Natural Fibers for Technical Textile Applications

Natural fibers in technical applications
Coir, Jute, Flax in Industrial Textiles

Before invention synthetic and regenerated fibers, human used natural fibers for various textile applications. But even today people use natural fiber based textiles to perform different needs and wants. Especially Natural fibers are used to create technical textiles. And those technical textiles are used in different industries such as agriculture, building construction, medical purposes, geo applications, home applications, etc. As natural fibers that we can see various types but widely used Coir fibers, Jute fibers, and Flax fibers as raw materials for technical textile applications. These fibers have specific properties and characteristics therefore we will look what they are and how they applied to technical textiles applications.

·         Origin from Nature - Natural fibers is founded from natural environment. There are renewable sources. Coir fiber is extracted from coconut husk. Flax fiber extracted from bast of flax plant. And also Jute fiber also extracted from stem of jute plant. Those extraction processes are environment friendly and all these fibers have cellulose based chemical structure. This structure based properties help to increase function and performance of final product. 

·         Water Absorbency- Vegetable fibers have higher water absorbency than synthetic fibers. It is very important for medical textiles and agricultural textiles. Cotton has higher water and moisture absorbency hence bandages, sanitary towels and tampons are produced using cotton fibers. In the agriculture for seed-beds and plant growing media commonly used coir fiber. The main reason is fiber absorb and keep moisture long period and provide water continuously to plants roots and help to avoid plant dehydration due to water transpiration of leafs. And in the geo textiles coir fibers are used to protect slope protection. And also flax fiber used to make towels because water absorbency of fiber is high.

·         Aesthetic & Decorative Purposes- Commonly jute fiber based applications are used even aesthetic and decorative purposes. The best examples are jute screens and jute carpets in the home applications. These jute carpets that we can see in different colours and different designs in the market.

·         Mechanical Properties- Natural fibers have good heat resistance, high strength, high yield, and toughness properties. Those above points are very important when producing technical applications. For example in the producing packing textiles used Coir and flax fibers because of high strength. Another example is sometimes coir fibers are mixed with concretes in the buildings foundations and ground area to increase strength and prevent from cracking cements due to heat, and vibrations. Another example I can explain coir fiber used to produce cordages and ropes because coir fiber has higher strength helps to preventing break cordage. As well as flax fibers are used also for sails, tent fabrics, table and bed linens.

·         Biodegradable Properties – All we know synthetic polymers are not quickly decayed and take thousand years to decay. But vegetable fibers are environment friendly and decay it is very important because after consumption product it is easy to recycle, it is naturally recycling and not harmful to environment. For example we can give coir, flax packing materials. 

In the other product we can see paper industry. To produce paper pulps commonly used vegetable fibers such as cotton and lien. Absorbency properties are very important when producing pulp and even consuming because papers are use to print letters, pictures, etc hence it is essential to proper absorbency of inks. Another products of coir fibers can be given brushes and brooms formation. And Coir, Jute flax fibers are used with different functions, performance and decorative based applications in the world.