About 100% Mechanically Processed Bamboo
The bamboo plant is fast growing, highly sustainable and is naturally organic. It does not require replanting after harvest but will regenerate from its rhizome root structure. Bamboo improves soil quality and helps to rebuild eroded soil.
When processed into fiber or yarn bamboo textiles you buy are resistant to the sun’s damaging ultraviolet (UV) radiation and maintain their inherently anti-bacterial properties. Environmentally friendly, bamboo-based fabrics have a luxurious softness often compared with cashmere.
How is Bamboo Fiber made?
There are two ways of commercially processing the bamboo plant to create yarn and fabric. The first is a mechanical process, creating what is informally called bamboo linen, and a chemical process producing rayon or viscose fabric.
Mechanically processed bamboo facts
Mechanically produced bamboo fabric requires no chemicals, pesticides or fungicides.
Using a process similar to the one that produces linen from flax, bamboo fibers are raked and combed into long strands, therefore preserving its anti-bacterial and anti fungal characteristics. The fibers are then drawn out and spun into a yarn that is silky smooth to the touch. Because of the smooth and round structure of its fibers, mechanically processed bamboo clothing is soft and non-irritating even to sensitive skin.
Far more costly and time consuming to produce, then chemically processed bamboo, 100% mechanically processed bamboo linen fabric feels similar to cashmere. It is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, anti-static, breathable and thermal regulating (keeps you cool in hot weather and warm in cool weather) even after multiple washings.
Chemically processed bamboo facts
The method for producing bamboo rayon fiber requires a series of steps similar to those used for other rayon fabrics.
The chemical manufacturing process used to produce fabric from wood cellulose has been modified to produce bamboo cellulose. The process uses chemical solvents to dissolve the bamboo cellulose into a viscose solution.
Hydrogen peroxide is added as a stabilizer and the solution is forced through spinnerets into a hardening bath which causes thin streams of viscose bamboo solution to harden into bamboo cellulose fiber threads.
The hardening bath is usually a solution of water and methanol, ethanol or a similar alcohol. The regenerated bamboo fiber threads can then be spun into bamboo yarn for weaving into fabric. Much of the chemicals used during the processing are captured and recycled to be used again. Only trace amounts escape into the atmosphere or into wastewaters and waste products.
For supporting information on mechanically processed bamboo as well as bamboo rayon, please refer to the links below.
LINKS FOR MORE INFO ON BAMBOO FIBER
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