Jute
is a natural fiber. It is obtained from the bark of the jute plant as
an extract that grows like any other organic crop. In early days, this
fibrous plant was also used by the occupants as a fragility that went
along with their staple diet.
Beginning
of jute as a commercial product dates back to the end of the 18th
century. Initially, the jute fiber was made into ropes that were
extensively used in the wind and hand driven sea vessels and ships.
Later, jute was used as spun and woven for manufacture of carpets.
Newer technologies developed within 1838. For manufacturing jute cloth,
jute fiber was spun into better yarn and woven. In order to enter the
daily lives of the people, jute products were initially developed with
sacking bags and jute hand bag. Jute also leads the applications in carpet making and packaging since jute started to be woven into fabric form.
Some
other properties of jute fiber started to develop since the middle of
the last century. It appeared then, that jute fiber and its subsequent
processing might find application in new areas of use and also newer
products for consumers.
The
best alternatives of non-bio degradable plastic bags are jute products,
which becomes popular in many countries. Plastics have raised
environmental hazards, blocking of drains and natural water streams and
many more dangers. Jute bags and paper bags are thus gaining popularity
for a good cause. The alternative may not come as cheap as its plastic
counter part, but the price paid will still be cheap for the cost of
saving to the environment.
There
is a good demand of jute products in countries like USA, U.K., Germany,
Australia and Middle-east. Demand of jute products in these countries
are jute shopping bags, wall hangings and floor coverings. New markets
can be developed through consumer awareness and product promotion it
will not be surprising to find this natural fiber product become a much
of the material for regular use by consumers all over the world.
Jute
fiber finds its use in the fields of agricultural, industrial,
commercial and domestic. Sacking and Hessians (Burlap) constitute the
bulk of the manufactured products. Sacking is commonly used as packaging
material for various agricultural commodities viz., rice, wheat,
vegetables, corn, coffee beans etc. Sacking and Hessian Cloth are also
used as packing materials in the cement and fertilizer manufacturing
industries. Fine Hessian is used as carpet backing and often made into
big bags for packaging other fibers viz. cotton and wool.
India,
Bangladesh, China, Thailand, Myanmar & Nepal are the major
producing countries of Jute and Allied Fibers (JAF). Around 95% of the
global production of JAF is produced together by them. India and
Bangladesh produce mostly jute, China produces mostly kenaf while
Thailand produces kenaf and roselle.
Basically,
the practice of fermenting the jute plants in jute growing regions is
to engage the jute bundles in clear slow flowing water, in canals,
streams, tanks and ponds. Plant materials of jute to water should have
at least 1:20 ratio in still water.
Water
should be free from salt and clear. The volume of water should be
enough to allow jute bundles to float. During submerging, bundles should
not touch the bottom. The same fermentation tank should not be used
when water becomes duller. In order to extract fibers from jute and
allied vegetable fiber plants, fermentation process are applied for a
long time. As the fibers are contained in the bark or the outer skins of
stems, either stems or the outer skins called ribbons are fermented for
extracting the fibers. When stems are fermented, then it is called stem
fermentation. When ribbons are fermented, then it is called ribbon
fermentation. Fermentation is a critical step to produce good quality
fiber.
The
quality of jute fiber is evaluated by its appropriateness for the
production of various types of yarn and its behavior in the
manufacturing process. The fiber which spins into the finest yarn is
considered to be of very good quality.
Jute
fiber is marketed in bundles of fiber balls. A fiber ball is composed
of about 10-15 fiber reeds obtained from 10-15 plants. Each fiber reed
is composed of thousands of fiber strands made of ultimate fibers with
strengthening materials. Commercially fiber quality is assessed by
taking a ball out of a lot, scattering the individual canes on the
ground and then assessing the different characteristics by `look &
touch' method.
Jute is an annually renewable energy source with a high biomass
production per unit land area. It is biodegradable and its products can
be easily prepared without causing environmental hazards. That's why
jute products are significantly considered as green products.
The roots of jute plants play a vital role in increasing the fertility
of the soil. By revolving with other crops like rice and potatoes, jute
acts as a barrier to pest and diseases for others crops. It also
provides a significant amount of nutrients to other crops as a form of
organic matter and micro nutrients. Jute has ecological flexibility. It
can be grown on a variety of soil types. They have a good acceptance to
salinity, water stress and water logging. Jute has the resistance
ability to climatic extremes, pests and diseases.
Carbon
dioxide (CO2) absorption rate is huge in jute plants. It can clean the
air by consuming large quantities of CO2, which is the main cause of the
greenhouse effect. Theoretically, one hectare of jute plants can
consume about 15 tons of CO2 from atmosphere and release about 11 tons
of oxygen in the 100 days of the jute-growing season. CO2 absorption
rate of jute is higher than trees.
The
fast-growing seasonal crop jute reaches a height of 1.5 to 4.5 meters
in a period of 4 to 5 months. The average dry stem production of jute
ranges from 20-40 ton per hectare, annually. This difference with the
production of the fastest growing wood plant which needs at least 10 to
14 years from plantation to harvest, and produces only 8 to 12 ton per
hectare annually. As the biological efficiency of jute is much higher
than that of wood plants, the use of jute instead of wood to make paper
pulp will lower substantially the cost of production of pulp and paper
and save forest resources.
There
is a fertilizer value of removed jute leaves and it enhances the soil
nutrients. Jute leaves are used as vegetables having nutritional and
medicinal values. Jute sticks are used as a fuel and shelter in jute
growing rural areas which contribute decreasing the use of wood in these
applications.
The
production flow of Jute associated with sowing, weeding/thinning,
harvesting, defoliation, fermentation, fiber extraction, washing and
drying. But only a small percentage of the farmers use seed treatment,
fertilizers and herbicides/pesticides, which makes the processes before
harvesting environmentally sound.
The
manufacturing process of jute products involve several phases such as
batching, softening with batching oil, carding, drawing, spinning,
weaving and finishing. The use of mineral batching oils is being
replaced with for specific use like packaging of Coffee.
Jute
plant flourishes best in moist soil in a hot, humid climate. Seeds are
hand-sown, and plants mature in three months, often averaging a height
of 10 to 12 feet (3 to 3.6 meters). Their light green leaves are
arrow-shaped, and small yellow flowers bloom separately or in bunches.
Jute is classified scientifically in the genus Cor chorus.
When
the blossoms first start to shed, the plants are harvested. The cut
stalks are sorted according to length and gathered into bundles. They
are then placed in shallow pools of still water where they are permitted
to ferment. When they become soft enough, the fibers are separated from
the stalks and then hung on lines to dry. Fibers are sorted, graded,
and baled for export after drying.
Burlap,
low-grade twine, and many other products are made from jute. Because,
its price is low and flexible. Jute is the second largest consumption of
natural fibers to cotton in the world. India, Bangladesh and China are
the leading producers.
The
Golden Fiber jute has proved the huge popularity in the context of
environmental issues. It is biodegradable and environment friendly. So,
products combine with the soil after sustained use. In turn, it enriches
the soil with organic substance and helps to grow better crops. It
emits are non- toxic smoke during combustion process. No additional
component or material remains after combustion. JRP (Jute Reinforced
Plastic) is widely used to pack tea and fruits especially for its
excellent ‘breathing qualities’. It successfully packs garments, cement,
fertilizers and other products as well. Geo-jute has been developed to
control destruction on mountain slopes, canal banks and railway sidings.
It also helps vegetation to grow - naturally. The perfect replacement
of wood is jute.
Jute
contributes manufacturing different type of products like fine silk,
finished fabrics, useful furnishings to complicatedly designed oriental
carpets, molded furniture, Wall Hangings, Swing Chairs, Flower Pot
Holders, Tea Coasters, Mats, Blankets, Slippers, Shopping Bags, Bead
Curtains, Dolls, Soft Luggage, Briefcases, Skirts, Jackets, Lamp Shades,
Floor Runners, Panels, Boards and a whole lot more. Inexpensive &
Aesthetic. Home and offices are perfect places of these products.
I would like to say that this blog really convinced me, Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteBest quality jute carpets
You're welcome Jack.
DeleteI really enjoy your post. Jute fiber is considered as “golden fiber” because of its color and cost-effectiveness. Thanks for your sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome.
DeleteThank You Giving Good post.. AristaExport is available at export quality Jute from Bangladesh.
ReplyDeleteVisit Us: AristaExport.com