@spot_material
hello@spotmaterial.com
Jute fibre
0.4-1.5 usd/kg
Jute is a low cost and popular fibre, second only to cotton in terms of annual production. It yields a coarse fibre used in technical textiles, such as biocomposites, carpet backing, construction (insulation and rendering), linoleum and upholstery underlining. It is hardy and a little brittle compared to flax and hemp. This is partly because it contains more lignin – around 12% by weight compared to only 2% for flax and around 10% for hemp.
India and Bangladesh are the biggest producers of jute fibre. It is a rain-fed crop that has little need for fertiliser or pesticide. Extracting the fibre requires retting (20 days in water) and mechanical processing. Finishes include colour and chemical treatments, such as to make it fire or water resistant. Even so, its impacts remain significantly lower than for synthetic fibres. Polypropylene (PP) has replaced jute in some cases, such as packaging, because it is inherently water resistant and supply is not dependent on location or growing season.
Jute fibre is traditionally used to produce hessian fabric, gunny and burlap. A golden yellow coloured fibre, it is used for a wide range of applications that take advantage of its hardiness, strength and relatively low cost. It provides a sturdy base for upholstery and linoleum; it is twisted into cord and wrapped into a shoe sole such as espadrilles; woven into sacks for coffee beans and cocoa beans; and as a geo textile it helps suppress weeds and reduce soil erosion.
Insulation bats are produced from recycled jute, such as from used sacks. The fibres are chopped and put back together as a lofty nonwoven that is suitable for roofs, walls and floors.
