A Brief Synopsis of the

JUTE FIBRE

By: Athithi Raman S.Y.B.Tech. (Textiles) Roll no. 2 I.C.T.

INDEX:
Sr. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 7.1. 7.1.1 . 7.1.2 . 7.1.3 . 7.1.4 7.1.5 7.1.6 7.1.7 7.1.8 7.2. 7.3 7.4 7.5 8. 9. Topic Page no. 1 1 3 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 13 14

Introduction Formation of Fibre and Extraction Chemical Composition and fibre identification Fibre Structure Major Producers Climate and Soil Applications and markets Composites Geotextiles Filters Sorbents Structural Composites Nonstructural Composites Molded Products Packa in Combinations !ith "ther #esources Fibre Matrix $hermoplastici%ation Fibre&$hermoplastic allo's Fashion Fabric Fanc' (a s and )andicrafts *ute Economics #eferences

1. Introduction
Jute is one of the cheapest natu a! fi" es. Jute fi" es a e co#pose$ p i#a i!% of ce!!u!ose &#a'o co#ponent of p!ant fi" e( an$ !i)nin &#a'o co#ponent *oo$ fi" e(. It is thus a !i)no+ce!!u!osic fi" e that is pa tia!!% a te,ti!e fi" e an$ pa tia!!% *oo$. It fa!!s into the "ast fi" e cate)o % &fi" e co!!ecte$ f o# "ast o s-in of the p!ant( a!on) *ith -enaf. in$ust ia! he#p. f!a, &!inen(. a#ie. etc. /he in$ust ia! te # fo 'ute fi" e is raw jute. /he fi" es a e off+*hite to " o*n. an$ 104 #ete s &3012 feet( !on). In the trade there are usuall' t!o names of jute+ ,hite and $ossa- Corchorus capsularis is re erred to as !hite "ute and Corchorus olitorius is re erred to as Tossa "ute- *ute is the common name i.en to the fiber extracted from the stems of plants belon in to the enus Corchorus, famil' Tiliaceae- *ute is also called locall' as #"e$%s &allo$'. Pictures 1 / 2 sho!s the different .arieties of jute fibre0ependin on demand1 price and climate1 the annual production of jute and allied fibres in the !orld remains around 2 million tonnesSackin and )essians 3(urlap4 constitute the bulk of the manufactured products- Sackin is commonl' used as packa in material for .arious a ricultural commodities .i%-1 rice1 !heat1 .e etables1 corn1 coffee beans etc- Fine )essian is used as carpet backin and often made into bi ba s for packa in other fibres .i%- cotton and !ool- *ute plant is an example of a number of !ood'+stemmed herbaceous dicot'ledons ro!n in the tropics and subtropics1 from the bast of !hose stems fibres can be extracted- Most of the plants culti.ated for fibre1 includin jute and 1another plant from jute5s famil' named kenaf1 are ro!n from seed annuall'1 but a fe! are ro!n as perennials-

1. White Jute (Corchorus capsularis)

2. Tossa Jute (Corchorus olitorius)

2. ()R&ATI)* )( T+, (IBR, A*- ,.TRACTI)*

*ute fibre de.elops in the phloem or bast re ion of the stem of the plants6 in trans.erse sections of the stem- $he' appear as !ed e+shaped bundles of cells intermin led !ith parench'ma cells and other soft tissue -In the ro!in part of the stem1 a circumferential la'er of primar' fibres de.elop from the protophloem1but1 as .ertical ro!th ceases in the lo!er parts1 secondar' phloem fibres de.elop as a result of cambial acti.it'- $he flo!ers of jute fibre are c'mes !hich are 7 or 8+flo!ered1 shortl' pedunculate 'ello!1 obtuse stamens numerous1 some!hat united at the base- In mature plants1 !hich reach a hei ht of 8-9+2-9 m and a basal diameter of about 89 mm1 the secondar' fibre accounts for about :;< of the total fibre bundles- $he plants pass from .e etati.e to reproducti.e phase !hen the da' len th falls belo! 78-9 hr- =ertical ro!th then ceases1 and cambial acti.it' declines- $he production of cell bundles is much reduced1 but1 at the same time1 the secondar' fibre cells be in to mature rapidl'- $heir !alls1 !hich ha.e remained thin durin the .e etati.e period1 become thicker1 and the' increase in !ei ht and stren th- )ar.estin the plants at the correct time is most important and re>uires lon experience- ,ith jute1 the correct time is jud ed to be !hen the plants are in the small+pod sta e- )ar.estin before flo!erin enerall' results in lo!er 'ields and !eaker fibre6 and if the seeds are allo!ed to mature1 the fibre becomes harsh and coarse

and difficult to extract from the plant- $he plants are har.ested b' hand !ith a sickle and cut close to the round- $he cut stems are then tied into bundles1 the lea.es remo.ed as much as possible1 and the bundles submer ed in !ater for rettin - This is the /rocess 0y $hich the 0undles o cells in the outer layers o the stem are se/arated rom the $oody core and orm non i0rous matter 0y the remo1al o /ectins and other 2ummy su0stances. $he action in.ol.es !ater1 microor anisms1 and en%'mes1 and takes bet!een 9 and 2; da's to completion1 dependin on the temperature of the !ater- Constant super.ision is re>uired1 and the time of remo.al is critical1 because if the de ree of rettin is insufficient1 the fibre cannot easil' be stripped from the !ood' core and ma' be contaminated !ith cortical cells6 and if rettin proceeds too far- $he fibre cells themsel.es ma' be attacked and !eakened b' microor anisms- Strippin the fibre from the stem is done b' hand1 after !hich the fibres are !ashed and dried- A difficult' in the rettin procedure is that the thicker parts of the stem take lon er to ret than the thinner parts do6 conse>uentl'1 if the butt ends of the stem are full' retted1 the top ends are o.erretted and dama ed- $his can be a.oided b' stackin the bundles of stems upri ht !ith the butt ends in !ater for a fe! da's before immersin the !hole stem6 but !ith fibre intended for export1 it is usual to cut off the partl' retted butt ends and sell these separatel' as ?cuttin s-@ Correct rettin is an essential first step in the production of ood >ualit' fiber- Controllin the >ualit' of !ater alon !ith impro.in microor anisms used in the process are the ke's to impro.ed fibre >ualit'A detailed o.er.ie! of the rettin process of jute plant is explained as follo!sA Rettin2 /rocess: #ettin is the bacterial decomposin of natural lues that adhere the bast fibre to the herd- $raditionall'1 this is accompanied in one of t!o !a's6 either de$ rettin2 or $ater rettin2- ,ith the former1 the s!ath of the stem material1 after mechanical har.estin is left for about B+C !eeks in the fields for de! and rainfall to affect the process6 ho!e.er1 prolon ed excessi.el' !et conditions can turn rettin to rottin - "!in to the .a aries of !eather and the need to speed up the process !ater rettin !as de.eloped- )ere the shea.es of cut plants are immersed1 root do!n!ards1 into tanks and co.ered- $he !ater is kept at approximatel' 29DC and circulated throu h the mass of material- After rettin is completed the shea.es are remo.ed and drained and left to dr' in the field termed 2assin2 .,hen the crop is dried to less than 7;< moisture content it can be stored readil' for scrutchin - It is claimed that !ater rettin produces a more uniform and hi her >ualit' fibreScutchin2 /rocess: It is a process in !hich the retted plant is separated or Etransformed5 into its basic partsA the hurd and the bast fibre- ,hile transformin the plant1 the fibres are kept at full len th so at the end the' can be cut to the len th re>uired for further processin 3i-e- len th needed for paper makin 1 spinnin F !ea.in 1 or non!o.ens used in composites and eotextiles4- Fi s- 3 to 4 i.e a pictorial o.er.ie! of formation and extraction of jute fibre-

(i2.3: so$in2

i2.5 : $eedin2

i2.6. : rettin2 o 7ute /lant

i2.8: i0re extraction

i2.9: scutchin2

i2.:: dryin2 o scutched i0re

(i2.4: trans/ortation o ra$ i0re 3. C+,&ICA; C)&<)SITI)* #etted fibres like jute ha.e three principal chemical constituents1 namel' a=cellulose ( i2. 1>.)? hemicelluloses ( i2. 11.) and li2nin ( i2. 12.)- $he hemicelluloses consist of pol'saccarides of comparati.el' lo! molecular !ei ht built up from hexoses? /entoses? and uronic acid residues- In jute1 capsularis and olitorius ha.e similar anal'sis1 althou h small differences occur amon different fibre samples- For fibre extracted from jute plants ro!n in (an ladesh1 the ran e of composition has been i.en as li2nin1 12=15@A a=cellulose? 6:=83@A and hemicellulose? 21=25@. In addition1 anal'sis of the hemicellulose isolated from a+cellulose and li nin i.es xylan? := 12.6@A 2alactan? 2=5@A 2lucuronic acid? 3=5@A to2ether $ith traces o ara0an and rhamnosan. $he insolu0le residue o a=cellulose has the composition 2lucosan? 66=64@A xylan? 1.:=3.>@A 2lucuronic acid? >.:=1.2@A to2ether $ith traces o 2alactan? ara0an? mannan? and rhamnosan. All percenta es refer to the !ei ht of dr' fibre. As !ell as the three principal constituents1 jute contains minor constituents such as ats and $axes? >.5=>.: @A inor2anic matter? >.8= 1.2 @A nitro2enous matter? >.:= 1.6 @A and traces o /i2ments. In total? these amount to a0out 2@. $he detailed molecular structure of the hemicellulose component is not kno!n !ith certaint'1 althou h in the isolated material the major part is stated to consist of a strai ht chain of 0+ x'lose residues1 !ith t!o side+branches of 0+x'lose residues1 !hose position and len th are

uncertain- In addition1 there are other side+branches formed from sin le residues of 5=0=methyl 2lucuronic acid1 to the extent of one for e.er' se.en x'lose units$he third major constituent1 li2nin1 is a lon2=chain su0stance o hi2h molecular $ei2ht !hich1 like the hemicelluloses1 .aries in composition from one t'pe of .e etable material to another- $he molecular chains are built up from comparati.el' simple or anic units !hich ma' differ from different sources as !ell as in the !a' in !hich the' are combined- Most of the studies in li nin ha.e been concerned !ith !ood6 the bast fibers ha.e been rather ne lected- It seems unlikel'6 ho!e.er1 an' major differences !ill exist bet!een jute and !ood li nin1 but in an' case man' details of the molecular structure still remain unresol.ed- Ta0le 1. indicates the Chan es in Chemical Composition of *ute at 0ifferent Sta es of Plant Gro!th-

i2. 1>: a=cellulose B3C i2. 11: +emicelluloses B3C i2. 12 : ;i2nin B3C

(IBR, I-,*TI(ICATI)*:
*ute fibre bein a li nocellulosic fibre1 !hen treated !ith rea ents1 sho!s the follo!in microchemical propertiesA C+,&ICA; T,STS Fibre G iodine and sulphuric acid Fibre G dil-chromic acid1 to !hich a little amount of )Cl has been added )BS,RDATI)*S #esults in 'ello! colour #esults in blue colour

Fibre G chloroiodide of %inc Fibre Gferric ferric'anide

#esults in a 'ello! colour #esults in deep blue colour o!in to the reduction of ferric compound b' li one

Fibre Gammonical solution of copper oxide

#esults in considerable s!ellin of fibre but does not readil' dissol.e it

Ta0le 1: Chan2es in Chemical Com/osition o "ute at -i erent Sta2es o <lant Ero$th.

$he li nin can be almost completel' remo.ed b' chlorination methods in !hich a soluble chloro+li nin complex is formed1 and the hemicelluloses are then dissol.ed out of the remainin holocellulose b' treatment !ith dilute alkali- $he final insoluble residue is the a+ cellulose constituent1 !hich in.ariabl' contains traces of su ar residues other than lucose-

5. (IBR, STRFCTFR,: $he jute fibre refers to the sheath extracted rom the /lant stems? $hereas a sin2le i0re is a cell 0undle ormin2 one o the linGs o the mesh ( i2. 5.1). Staple len th1 as applied to cotton and !ool fibres1 has no counterpart in the base fibres1 and1 as a preliminar' to spinnin 1 it is necessar' to break up the sheaths b' a cardin process- $he fra ments so produced are the e>ui.alent of the staple fibres of the cotton and !ool industries- In each /lant? the rin2s o i0re cell 0undles orm a tu0ular mesh that encases the entire stem rom to/ to 0ottom. $!o la'ers can usuall' be distin uished1 connected to ether b' lateral fibre bundles1 so that the !hole sheath is reall' a lattice in three dimensions- $he cell bundles form the links of the mesh1 but each link extends onl' for a fe! centimeters before it di.ides or joins up !ith another link- After extraction from the plant1 the fibre sheath forms a flat ribbon in three dimensions-

,hen a trans1erse section of a sin le jute fibre is examined under the microscope1 the cell structure is seen clearl'- ,ach cell is rou2hly /oly2onal in sha/e? $ith a central hole? or lumen? com/risin2 a0out 1>@ o the cell area o cross section? as sho$n in i2. 5.2 .In lon2itudinal 1ie$A it sho$s the o1erla//in2 o the cells alon2 the len2th o the i0re as sho$n in i2. 5.3- $he cells are firml' attached to one another laterall'1 and the re ion at the interface of t!o cells is termed the middle lamella- Separation of cells can be effected b' chemical means1 and the' are then seen to be threadlike bodies ran in from ;-H9 to 9 mm in len th1 !ith an a.era e of about 8-2 mm-The cells are some 2>> times lon2er than they are

0oard? and in common are re erred to as terminolo2y are re erred to as ultimate cells. A sin2le i0re thus com/rises a 0undle o ultimates.

i2. 5.1: 7ute i0re 0undles

i2. 5.2:T.S. o 7ute i0re

i2. 5.3:;.S. o 7ute i0re

6. &A")R <R)-FC,RS: India? Ban2ladesh? China? &yanmar? *e/al and Thailand are at present the major producers of *ute of !hich1 India? Ban2ladesh and China are the lar2est /roducersFa.ourable conditions for jute culti.ation are found in the deltas of the reat ri.ers of the tropics and subtropicsIthe Ean2es? the Irra$addy? the AmaHon? and the Yan2tHe? for exampleI!here irri ation1 often b' extensi.e floodin 1 and allu.ial soils combine !ith lon da' len ths to pro.ide opportunit' for considerable .e etati.e ro!th before flo!erin Ban2ladesh remains the $orld%s /rinci/al ex/orter o this ty/e o i0re? $ith ex/orts o 7ute i0re currently runnin2 at around 6>>?>>> tonsIyear. 8. C;I&AT, A*- S)I;:

*ute culti.ation re>uires specific climate and land- It re>uires earl' rains in &arch? &ay and "une and intermittent rain and sunli ht thereafter till Au ust1 temperature bet!een 2:JC and 36JC and humidity bet!een 9>@ and 4>@. $his t'pe of climate is a.ailable in areas bet!een 2;D Jatitude North and South of the earth- Soils conduci.e to producin jute are of three t'pesA Joam' soil1 cla'e' soil and Sand' soil i2 8.1. ;oamy soil usually /roduces the 0est i0re- $he cla'e' soil 'ields a short crop- Also plants ro!n on cla'e' soil do not ret uniforml'- $he sand' soil produces coarse fibre- The

best varieties of Jute are Bangla Tosha - Corchorus olitorius (Golden shine) and Bangla White - Corchorus capsularis (Whitish Shine), and Mesta or enaf (!ibiscus cannabinus) is another species "ith fibre si#ilar to Jute "ith #ediu# $ualit%&

i2 8.1: ( rom le t) ;oamy soil? clayey soil and Sandy soil B3C

9. A<<;ICATI)*S A*- &ARK,TS $he lar e historic markets for jute in sackin 1 carpet backin 1 corda e1 and textiles ha.e decreased o.er the 'ears as jute has been replaced b' s'nthetics- Fibre from jute can be used in the handicraft industries1 to make textiles1 to make paper products1 or to produce a !ide .ariet' of composites- A reat deal of research is presentl' oin on in each of these fields6 ho!e.er1 the lar est potential markets are in composite products- $hese composites ran e from .alue+added specialit' products to .er' lar e+.olume commercial materials- $hese markets are potentiall' lar er than the past markets for jute and could lead to ne! d'namic uses for this and other natural fibres9.1. Com/osites A composite is an' com0ination o t$o or more resources held to2ether 0y some ty/e o mastic or matrix. $he mastic or matrix can be simple as ph'sical entan lement of fibres to as complex as s'stems based on thermosettin or thermoplastic+pol'mer production- $he Ta0le 2 sho!n belo! i.es possible processin path!a's that lead to the composite products that can come from each fraction of the plant-

$he entire plant 3lea.es1 stock1 pith1 and roots4 can be used directl' to produce structural and nonstructural com/osites. (' usin the entire plant1 processes such as rettin 1 fibre separation1 fraction purification1 etc- can be eliminated1 !hich increases the total 'ield of plant material and reduces the costs associated !ith fraction isolationAnother option is to separate the hi her+.alue lon fibre from the other t'pes of shorter fibre and use it in combination !ith other materials to make .alue+added structural composites. ,hen the lon fibre is separated1 the b'product is a lar e amount of short fibre and pith material that can be used for such products as sor0ents? /acGin2? li2ht=$ei2ht com/osites? and insulation. (' utili%in the b'product of the lon fibre isolation process1 the o.erall cost of lon +fibre utili%ation is reduced- $he isolated lon2 i0re can then be used to make mats $hich ha1e 1alue=added a//lications in ilters? 2eotextiles? /acGa2in2? molded com/osites? and structural and nonstructural com/osites. Composites can be classified in man' !a'sA b' their densities1 b' their uses1 b' their manufacturin methods1 or other s'stems- For this report1 the' !ill be classified b' their uses- Ei ht different most commerciall' used classes areA 2eotextiles? ilters? sor0ents? structural com/osites? non=structural com/osites? molded /roducts? /acGa2in2? and com0inations $ith other materials- ,ithin each composite made there are opportunities to

impro.e the performance of that composite b' impro.in the performance of the fibre oin into the composite-

9.1.1. Geotextiles $he lon2 0ast i0res? liGe in 7ute? can be formed into flexible fibre mats1 !hich can be made b' ph'sical entan lement1 non!o.ens needlin 1 or thermoplastic fibre melt matrix technolo ies- $he t!o most common t'pes are carded and needle=/unched mats- In cardin2? the i0res are com0ed? mixed? and /hysically entan2led into a elted mat- $hese mats are usuall' of hi h densit' but can be made at almost an' densit'- A needle/unched mat is /roduced in a machine $hich /asses a randomly ormed machine=made $e0 throu2h a needle 0oard that /roduces a mat in $hich the i0res are mechanically entan2led. Medium+ to hi h+densit' fibre mats ha.e se.eral uses- "ne is as a eotextileEeotextiles deri1e their name rom geo and textile and? there ore? mean a0rics in associated $ith the earth. Geotextiles ha.e a lar e .ariet' of uses- $he' can be used for mulch around ne$ly /lanted seedlin2s as sho$n in i2. 9.1.1.1.$he mats pro.ide the benefits of natural mulch6 in addition1 controlled+ release fertili%ers1 repellents1 insecticides1 and herbicides can be added to the mats as neededB9C- $he addition of such chemicals could be based on sil.icultural prescriptions to ensure seedlin sur.i.al and earl' de.elopment on plantin sites !here se.ere nutritional deficiencies1 animal dama e1 insect attack1 and !eed problems are anticipated- #esearch results on the combination of mulch and pesticides in a ronomic crops ha.e been promisin - Medium+densit' fibre mats can also be used to replace dirt or sod for rass seedin around ne! homesites or alon hi hl' embankments- Grass or other t'pe of seed can be incorporated in the fibre mat. "ute i0re mats ha1e 2ood moisture retention and /romote seed 2ermination. Jo!+ and medium+densit' fiber mats can be used for soil stabili%ation around ne! or existin construction sites- Stee/ slo/es $ithout roots to hold the soil erode and to/ soil is lost as sho$n in i2. 9.1.1.2 B15C. Medium+ and hi h+ densit' fibre mats can also be used 0elo$ 2round in road= and other ty/es o construction as natural se/arators 0et$een di erent materials as sho$n in i2 9.1.1.3 in the layerin2 o 0acG ill B9C-

(i2. 9.1.1.1

(i2. 9.1.1.2

(i2. 9.1.1.3

7.1.2. Filters Medium+ and hi h+densit' fibre mats can be used for air ilters- $he densit' of the mats can be .aried1 dependin on the si%e and >uantit' of material that needs to be filtered and the .olume of air re>uired to pass throu h the filter per unit of time- Air filters can be made to remo1e /articulate andIor can 0e im/re2nated or reacted $ith 1arious chemicals as air reshners or cleansers. Medium+ to hi h+densit' mats can also be used as filterin aids to take particulates out of !aste !ater and drinkin !ater or sol.ents-

9.1.3. Sorbents

In se.eral cities in the Knited States1 tests are presentl' under !a' to use a ro+based sorbents to remo.e hea.' metals1 pesticides1 and oil from rain !ater runoff- Medium and hi h+densit' mats can also be used for oil+spill clean+up pillo!s9.1.5. Structural Composites A structural composite is defined as one that is reLuired to carry a load in use. In the housin industr'1 for example1 structural composites are used in load=0earin2 $alls? roo systems? su0 loorin2? stairs? ramin2 com/onents? urniture? etc. In most if not all cases1 performance re>uirements for these composites are spelled out in codes andF or in specifications set forth b' local or national a encies- In such purposes1 the $hole o the 7ute /lant comes of useStructural composites can ran e !idel' in performance from the hi h+performance materials used in the aerospace industr' do!n to !ood+based composites !hich ha.e lo!er performance re>uirements- Amon the !ood+based composites1 performance .aries1 from that of multila'ered pl'!ood and laminted lumber to lo!+cost particleboard- Structural !ood+based composites1 intended for indoor use1 are usuall' made !ith a lo!+cost adhesi.e !hich is not stable to moisture1 !hile exterior+ rade composites are made !ith a thermosettin resin that is hi her in cost but stable to moisture- Performance can be impro.ed in !ood+based as !ell as a ro+based composites b' usin chemical modification techni>ues1 fire+retardant andFor deca'+control chemicals1 etc9.1.6. Nonstructural Composites As the name implies1 nonstructural composites are not intended to carr' a load in use- $hese can be made rom a 1ariety o materials such as thermo/lastics? textiles? and $ood /articles? and are used or such /roducts as doors? $indo$s? urniture 2asGets? ceilin2 tiles? automoti1e interior /arts? moldin2? etc- $hese are enerall' lo!er in cost than structural composites and are subject to codes and specifications associated !ith them9.1.8. Molded Products $he present !ood+based+composite industr' mainl' produces t!o+dimensional 3flat4 sheet products- In some cases1 these flat sheets are cut into pieces and luedFfastened to ether to make shaped products such as dra!ers1 boxes1 and packa in - Flat sheet !ood+fibre composite products are made b' makin a ra.it'+formed mat of fibres !ith an adhesi.e and then pressin - If the final shape can be produced durin the pressin step1 then the secondar' manufacturin profits can be reali%ed b' the primar' board producer- Instead of makin lo!+ cost flat+sheet+t'pe composites1 it is possible to make complexl' shaped composites directl' usin the lon bast fibre- In this technolo '1 i0re mats are similar to the ones descri0ed or use as 2eotextiles exce/t? durin2 mat ormation? an adhesi1e is added 0y di//in2 or s/rayin2 the i0re 0e ore mat ormation? or it is added as a /o$der durin2 mat ormation B4C- $he mat is then shaped and densified b' a thermoformin step- ,ithin certain limits1 an' si%e1 shape1 thickness1 and densit' is possible- $hese molded composites can be used for structural or non+structural applications as !ell as for packa in 1 and can be combined !ith other materials to form ne! classes of composites7.1.7. Pac aging Gunny ags as sho!n in "ig. 7.1.7. #a$e f o# jute ha.e been used as sacGin2 or /roducts such as co ee? cocoa? nuts? cereals? dried ruits? and 1e2eta0les for man' 'ears- ,hile there are still man' applications for lon fibre for sackin 1 most of the commodit' oods are no! shipped in containers that are not made of a ro+fibers- (ut there is no reason !h' the' cannot be- Medium+ and hi h+densit' a ro+based fibre composites can be used for small containers1 for example1 in the tea industr' and for lar e sea+ oin containers for commodit' oods- $hese composites can be shaped to suit the product b' usin the moldin technolo ' described pre.iousl'1 or made into lo!+cost1 flat sheets to be made into containers-

(i2. 9.1.9. sho$s 7ute sacGs used or stora2e /ur/oses A ro+based fibre composites can also be used in returna0le? reusa0le containers- $hese containers can ran e from simple crease= old ty/es to more solid1 e.en nestable1 t'pesJon a ro+fibre fabric and mats can be o.erla'ed !ith thermo/lastic ilms such as /olyethylene or /oly/ro/ylene to be used to packa e such products as concrete? oods? chemicals? and ertiliHer. Corrosi.e chemicals re>uire the plastic film to make them more !ater+resistant and to reduce de radation of the a ro+based fibre B3C- $here are also man' applications for a ro+based fibre as paper sheet products for packa in - $hese .ar' from simple paper !rappers to corru ated1 multifolded1 multila'ered packa in 7.1.!. Combinations "ith #ther $esources It is possible to make completel' ne! t'pes of composites b' combinin different resources- It is possible to combine1 blend1 or allo' leaf1 bast andFor stick fibre !ith other materials such as lass1 metals1 plastics1 and s'nthetics to produce ne! classes of materials- $he objecti.e is to combine t!o or more materials in such a !a' that a s'ner ism bet!een the components results in a ne! material that is much better than its indi.idual componentsComposites of a2ro=0ased i0re and 2lass i0er can be made b' usin the lass as a surface material or combined1 as a fibre1 !ith li2nocellulosic i0re- Composites of this t'pe can ha.e a .er' hi2h sti ness=to=$ei2ht ratio- $he lon bast fibres can also be used in place of lass fibre in resin in7ection moldin2 (RI&) or used to replace1 or in combination !ith1 lass fiber in resin=trans er=moldin2 (RT&) technolo2ies. Problems of dimensional stabilit' and compatibilit' !ith the resin must be addressed1 but such composites could also lead to ne! markets for propert'+enhanced a ro+based materials B1>C&etal ilms can be o.erla'ed onto smooth1 dimensionall' stabili%ed fibre composite surfaces or applied throu h cold=/lasma technolo2y to produce durable coatin s- Such products could be used in exterior construction to replace all+aluminum or .in'l sidin 1 in markets !here a ro+based resources ha.e lost market share- Metal fibres can also be combined !ith stabili%ed fibre in a matrix confi uration in the same !a' metal fibers are added to rubber to produce !ear+resistant aircraft tires- A metal matrix offers excellent tem/erature=resistance and impro.ed stren2th /ro/erties1 and the ductility of the metal lends tou hness to the resultin composite- Application for metal matrix composites could be in the cooler parts of the skin of ultrahi2h=s/eed aircra t- $echnolo ' also exists for makin molded productsA perforated metal plates are embedded in a phenolic+coated fibre mat1 !hich is then pressed into .arious shaped sections(ast fibre can also be combined in an inor anic matrix- Such composites are dimensionally and thermally sta0le? and they can 0e used as su0stitutes or as0estos com/osites. Inor anic bonded bast+fibre composites can also be made !ith .ariable densities that can be used for structural applications. ()ne o the 0i22est ne$ areas o research in the 1alue= added area is in com0inin2 natural i0res $ith thermo/lastics. <rices or /lastics ha1e risen shar/ly o1er the /ast e$ years? 0ut addin2 a natural /o$der or i0re to /lastics reduces cost (and in some cases increases /er ormance as $ell). To the a2ro=0ased industry? this re/resents an increased 1alue or the a2ro=0ased com/onent.) B11C 9.2. (i0re &atrix Thermo/lasticiHation $here has been much research o.er the 'ears stud'in !a's to thermo orm li2nocellulosics.Most of the efforts ha.e concentrated on film formation and thermoplastic

composites- $he approach most often taken in.ol.es the chemical modification of cellulose1 li nin1 and the hemicelluloses to recr'stalli%eFmodif' the cellulose and to thermoplastici%e the li nin and hemicellulose matrix in order to mold the entire li nocellulosic resource into films or thermoplastic composites*ute fibres are composites made up of a ri2id /olymer (cellulose) in a thermo/lastic matrix (li2nin and the hemicelluloses). If a nondecr'stalli%in reaction condition is used1 it is possible to modif' the li nin and hemicellulose chemicall'1 but not the cellulose- $his selecti.e reacti.it' has been sho!n to occur if uncatal'%ed anh'drides are reacted !ith !ood fibre B2C. 9.3. (i0reMThermo/lastic alloys #esearch to de.elop jute fibre+thermoplastic allo's is based on first thermoplastici%in the fibre matrix and then the 2ra tin2 of the modified fibre !ith a reacti.e thermoplastic- In this t'pe of composite1 the thermo/lastic is 0onded onto the li2nocellulosic in such a $ay that there is only one continuous /hase in the molecule. $his is done b' one of t$o methods- In one case1 the matrix is reacted !ith maleic anhydride? !hich results in a double bond in the rafted reacted molecule- $his can then be used in .in'l+t'pe additions or in ree radical /olymeriHation to either build a thermoplastic pol'mer or raft one onto the li nocellulosic backbone- In the second method1 the matrix is reacted first !ith a 0onded chemical and then !ith a lo$=molecular=$ei2ht thermo/lastic that has been rafted !ith side+chain anh'dride roups$hese ne! composites make it possible to explore ne! applications and ne! markets in such areas as /acGa2in2? urniture? housin2? and automoti1e uses B2C. 9.5. (ashion (a0ric *ute a .ersatile1 eco+friendl'1 rec'clable and economical fibre- "ute is also o ten 0lended $ith other a0rics liGe cotton (called "FC)) that are ideal for clothin 1 accessories and home furnishin - $o reduce the inborn rou hness of the basic fibre1 the *ational Institute o Research on "ute and Allied (i0re Technolo2y (*IR"A(T)1 KolGata1 has introduced a uni>ue technolo ' to make jute so ter? and more mallea0le. *ute has no! mo.ed up in social circles and creatin an interest amon the Indian and International desi ners- #ecentl'1 the &inistry o Textiles s/onsored an exhi0ition to hi2hli2ht the 7ute /roducts and 7ute 2arments- A fashion sho! hi hli hted jute as a fashion connoisseurs exporters and traders$he fashion sho! displa'ed a !ide ran e of arments for men and !omen desi ned for domestic as !ell as international markets- $he fabrics uni>ue texture and all !ere appreciated and attracted man' indi.iduals1 bu'ers and bouti>ue-<ra0ha &ohanty1 a famous desi ner has pioneered the use of jute into hi h fashion arments- She sa's that1 #"ute%s natural 2olden colour is its main asset'. (esides it has hi2h tensile stren2th1 and can be used to replace other material like pol'fibres- Jike Prabha Mohant' other desi ners are pickin up the fibre and usin it superficiall'- $he desi ner ran e for men is suited to meet the most excitin and sophisticated standards of the consumer- *ute is presented in the most natural look for the men- Soft pleats and hi h !aists are in for trousers made of blended jute in muted colours-In order to make sophisticated products like fashion arments1 jute needs to be 0lended !ith i0res liGe $ool? nylon? rayon? acrylic or /oly/ro/ylene- $hese blends enrich the fibre in feel1 appearance1 durabilit'1 resilience and !ashabilit'- As far the cost factor1 jute bein one of the chea/est i0res a.ailable in India- )i h profile desi ners like Ashish Soni and MumbaiLs <a$an As$ani ha.e featured jute ensembles on fashion sho! as at the ;aGme India (ashion $eeG 2>>> and International (airs in -usseldor ? Eermany. $he *ational Institute o (ashion Technolo2y (*I(T) has also participated in man' fashion sho!s in association !ith the Institute o "ute Technolo2y and LIndiaLs premiere onl' natural fabrics storeL1 (a0 India at Kala Ehoda &um0ai1 patronesses jute creation to a lar e extent-

(i2s 9.5.1 sho$ the 1arious a//lications o 7ute a0ric in ashion a//arels B12C

9.6. (ancy Ba2s and +andicra ts $he .ersatile *ute fibre is no! bein used to create excitin ne! products1 the most popular one are )and (a s1 Shoppin (a s1 Ju a e (a s1 ,allets1 Casual (a s and Fashion (a sSe.eral thousands small units1 craftsmen1 trades and enterprises are en a ed in Manufacturin 1 $radin and Export business of these beautiful ba s- $he *ute Ser.ice Centres on behalf of National Centre for *ute 0i.ersification helpin the small units en a ed in the creation of fanc' ba s- $here is a reat demand of such fanc' ba s in !estern countries(i2s. 9.8.1. to 9.8.3 sho! .arious kinds of fanc' jute ba s successfull' marketed in India as !ell as abroad-

(i2. 9.6.1

i2. 9.6.2

i2.9.6.3

A lar e number of tin' units especiall' in rural areas are en a ed in creatin beautiful handicrafts1 no.elties and ifts items made of *ute- (ein a bio+de radable and rene!able nature fibre1 *ute )andicrafts and No.elties are in reat demand- A *ute 0oll1 a Paintin on !all1 a $able Jamp1 a ift item made of jute etc- all are free of ha%ards is a first choice no! a da's- *ute based handicrafts and no.elties .ar' from to's1 table lamp1 !all paintin 1 pencil box1 and innumerable splendid ift items- $he' ha.e a hu e export potential- (i2s. 9.6.5 and 9.6.6 exhibit the handicrafts made from unprocessed jute fibre B13C-

1i).7.6.4: 'ute 2anesh i$o!

1i).7.6.5: 'ute 3ases

4. "FT, ,C)*)&ICS: <roduction o "ute Eoods=====Nty in >>>O tonnes (India) (A/ril I &arch) +essian SacGin2 7::C+:H 7::H+:M 7::M+:: 7:::+8;;; 7:::+8;;; 3 April F "ct 4 8;;;+8;;7 3 April F "ct 4 2CM-H 2:8-B 2BB-7 2BB-9 7:M-C 8;;-C CCC-C MCB-C :;2-2 :;:-8 9;7-7 BM9-:

CBC 89-8 7:-M 7M-9 M-; 9-M 2-7

)thers 2B;-B B;7-C 22;-2 28M-9 7M9-8 7:M-B

Total 7B;;-: 7CHM-B 79:C-8 79:;-8 M:;-H MMM-;

-omestic Consum/tion o "ute Eoods (India) (A/ril I &arch) 7::C+:H 7::H+:M 7::M+:: 7:::+8;;; 7:::+8;;; 3 April F "ct 4 8;;;+8;;7 3 April F "ct 4 +essian 89:-M 8M9-M 8MC-8 8MH-; 798-M 79B-9 SacGin2 C98-; MB8-B MMC-2 :;H-B BC8-8 BCM-H CBC 7-H 7-9 7-2 7-B ;-H 7-; )thers 888-9 89H-9 82;-9 82;-: 78H-B 7B7-H Total 772C-; 72MH-8 7B;B-2 7B8C-H HB2-7 HC9-M

,x/ort o "ute Eoods ==== Nty:In P>>> Tonnes==== Dalue : Rs.ICrores (India) (A/ril I &arch) 7::9 + :C 7::C+:H 7::H+:M 7::M+:: 7:::+8;;; 7:::+8;;;N 3 April F "ct 4 8;;;+8;;7 3 April F "ct 4
N

+essian 78B-9 :C-2 :M-; CB-9 9H-B 2;-9 22-MH

SacGin2 H-8 2-M 89-; 77-7 9-C 2-8 M-M

CBC )thers 82-8 7M-: 7C-; 7H-2 C-2 B-7 2-; CB-8 7;7-: 777-; 7;8-; ::-H B8-9 BC-9

Total 87:-7 88;-: 89;-; 7:B-: 7C:-; M;-2 :8-7

Total Dalue C2B-M8 H;8-82 H99-;; C8M-:8 9H7-92 89;-C: 27M-;C

(source:re 1) R,(,R,*C,S

1. About Jute, httpAFF!!!-!orldjute-comFaboutOjuteFabjOindex-html 3au 17;18;;M4

2. $extile Fibres b' Prof- =-A-Shenai 3. Retting of jute fibre ,httpAFF!!!-jmdcindia-comFhtmlFfunctions-html 3au 17;18;;M4 #. #-M- #o!ell1 Handbook on Wood and Cellulosic Materials 30-N-S )on and N- Shiraishi1 Eds-41 Marcel 0ekker1 Ne! Pork1 7::7$. #-)-Qirb'1 Vegetable Fibres, Jeonard )ill (ooks1 Jondon1 7:C2%. (-C-Qundu1 Q- C- (asak1 and P-(- Sarkar1 Jute in ndia, Monograph1 Indian Central *ute Committee1 Calcutta1 7:9:7. !i"ersification of jute fibre httpAFF!!!-!orldjute-comFdi.ersificationF di.ersificationO eojuteO eotex-html 3Au 1 7;1 8;;M4 :. httpAFF!!!-!orldjute-comFdi.ersificationFdi.ersificationOcompositeOtechnohtml 3Au 1 7;1 8;;M4 4. httpAFF!!!-!orldjute-comFdi.ersificationFdi.ersificationOcompositeOtechnoO2-html 3au 17;18;;M4 1&. #-P- Mukherjee and $- #adhakrishnan1 Te#$ %rogr$ , B1 71 37:H8411. *-N- Mather1 Carding&Jute and 'i(ilar Fibers, Iliff1 Jondon1 7:C:12. httpAFF!!!-!orldjute-comFdi.ersificationFdi.ersificationOfashionOfabric-html 13. ,-A- (ell1 Sci- Ne!s1 9B1 2: 37:C;415. httpAFFapparel-indiamart-comFannual+reportFjute-3 Au 1 7;1 8;;M4