Jute: the golden fibre
Jute is a soft and strong vegetable fibre collected from bast or skin of the plant and spun into coarse threads. It is the cheapest natural fiber after cotton. Jute fibres consist of cellulose, a plant fibre and lignin, a wood fibre. Thus it can be described as a lingo-celluosic fibre which is partially textile, and partially wood fibre. There are two types of jute, Corchorus Capsularis or white jute, and Tossa or dark jute.
Jute has a deep rooted tradition, globally. Abul Fazals Ain-e-Akbari states that during the reign of Akbar, villagers of India used to wear jute clothes. In past times when nylon and polythene was not very popular, jute was an important cultivation in Bangladesh. A major portion of their foreign exchange was earned through jute. Hence it was described as the Golden Fibre of Bangladesh. Eighty percent of the worlds high quality jute grows in Bangladesh. Jute fibres are also called as Hessian and the fabric is called Hessian cloth in Europe and burlap in North America. Jute is used to make cloth for wrapping bales of raw cotton, sacks and coarse cloth. Home textiles such as curtains, chair coverings, carpets, rugs etc are also manufactured. The sacks made out of jute are called gunny bags. Approximately 90 percent of the fibre is spun into yarn for fabrics. Good quality yarn is used for burlap and lower grades are used for baling and making gunny bags. The discarded portion of jute called jute butts are used for making paper.
Extraction of Fibres from Jute:
Fibres of jute lie beneath the bark of the plant surrounding the central part of the stem. Fibres in the plant are surrounded by gummy materials. To separate them, the tissues should be softened, dissolved and then washed away. Fibres are extracted from the plant through the following process:
Fibre Extraction Process of Jute
Bundle stalk: Jute plants are harvested, and the stems are made into bundles for steeping in water.
Retting: In this process the best fibres are separated from the stem. Jute stalks are steeped in water at a depth of 15cms to 23 cms below the surface in slow and clean flowing water. It is kept for 8 to 30 days till the barks are separated from the wood. The optimum temperature for retting is 26.70C.Once retting is done, fibres from the plant must be extracted quickly, or else the quality might suffer. A recent development in this process is the ribbon retting technology.
Stripping: When the layers are separated from the core plant, steeping stops and stripping starts. This is the fibre extraction stage. Fibres are removed from the retted stalks. This is done in three different methods:
- The stalks are held under water and fibres are extracted individually, in every single plant.
- Stalks are taken in bunches, dashed to and fro in the moving water, and fibres are taken out by breaking the stalks in one end.
- Stalks are first washed in waist deep water, and then fibres are stripped.
Washing and Drying: The fibres are dipped in tamarind water for 15 to 20 minutes to remove its dark color. Then it is washed in clean water again. The washed fibres are hung in bamboo railings for 2 to 3 days.
Bailing, Packing and Transportation: The dried fibres are graded as top, middle, B, C, and X bottoms. They are then packed in kutcha bales for transportation and marketing.
Jute Processing in Mills:
Raw jute is processed in mills to produce hessian, sacking, jute yarn, bags, and other useful products. Jute bales are opened, and good quality of raw jute is selected and sent to softening section. Normally, a jute softener machine is used to soften the gummy and raw jute. Then the jute is piled where moisture penetrates inside fibre and softens the hard part of the root. Then comes the carding process where jute fibres are split and unrelated matters are removed. Here jute fibres are made into ribbons called silver. The thickness and width of the silvers obtained are now reduced through the drawing process.
Once the silver is processed through drawing process, yarn from the silver is taken through the spinning process. Here silvers are stretched out and twisted into yarn. Then the yarn is winded into spools in the winding process. Now the yarn is woven into fabric. Two types of weaving, hessian where threads are manually changed, and sacking where threads are automatically changed, are used to weave the yarn into fabric of desired quality. Then comes the damping process where water is sprinkled manually on the fabric to provide moisture. The wet fabric is then ironed which is called calendaring. Then the cloth is folded in the desired size, cut and is sewn.
Wonders of Jute:
- Medical uses of Jute:
Jute is also considered as a medical vegetable. Jute leaves are used in soups in Egypt with the name Molukhyia. In India, the tender shoots and leaves are eaten. Injections made from jute materials have the capacity to improve cardiac insufficiencies. Jute is considered as an ancient folk medicine for aches, pains, dysentery, fever, pectoral pains, and tumors. It is used as an ayurvedic medicine for tumors, pain, and piles. Every 100 grams of jute leaves have 43 58 calories. The leaves are used to treat cystitis, dysuria, fever, and gonorrhea.
Jute Jewellery:
Eco friendly jute ornaments are in hot demand among women these days. Necklaces, bangles, bracelets, danglers and many other variety of jewellery are made in colors ranging from its original hue to an assortment of attractive shades to suit each and every outfit of the fashion savvy woman. It is also available at various prices starting from Rs.20 to Rs.5, 000 to suit the budget of the customers. Maintenance and cleaning of jute jewellery can also be easily done with soap water. This eco friendly and lightweight jewellery is preferred by many and its demand and charm only keeps increasing.- Jute in the Technical Textile Industry:
The market for jute as a technical textile is enormous. Jute fibre is fully bio-degradable and recyclable and is thus environmentally friendly. It possesses high tensile strength, and low extensibility. It is used to make woven and non-woven fabrics for automobile industry, as net fabric for agro textiles, bio-degradable bags for environmental textiles, fabrics for home textiles, and jute based composite doors. Jute paddings are used in cars to protect the feet and also as noise proof material. Globally, the annual production of jute and its allied fibres are approximately 3 million tones.- Jute Fabrics:
Jute can be used as a fashion fabric. The unique texture and moisture absorbing capacity of jute has created a global demand for these fabrics. Jute needs to be blended with other materials like wool, nylon, rayon, acrylic etc, so as to enhance its appearance, feel, and washability. The natural brown hue of jute can be dyed in a range of charming colors to suit the customers tastes and preferences. Jute fabrics are contemporary with high rustic appeal. They are soft and good for the skin as it does not cause any irritation. Jute curtains, blinds, and intricately woven jute carpets give ethnic and artistic look to the interiors and are used by many interior designers now a days.- Jute Accessories:
Jute handbags are the most common form of the fibre. Available in variety of attractive colors and designs, these handbags are available in the market at all prices depending on the brand, design, and type. Jute slippers and shoes are very comfortable as they are non-allergic and do not cause any skin infections. They prove to be a good formal as well as a casual wear.
Indian Jute Industry:
India leads in the cultivation of jute and production of jute products. Jute is a predominant crop in Eastern India in the states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Orissa, Tripura, and Uttar Pradesh. About 73 mills are currently engaged in the manufacture of jute producing 100 lakh bales of fibre annually.
Indias Industrial accomplishments regarding Jute:
- India is the largest producer of raw jute and biggest manufacturer of jute products in the world.
- Manufactures a wide range of jute products customized to the buyers needs.
- High quality Research and Development facilities to enhance jute cultivation.
- Eastern India possesses the damp heat climatic condition favorable for jute cultivation.
- Capability to manufacture good quality jute bags to meet international standards and needs.
Jute can be defined as a versatile natural fibre with a variety of applications. Though the traditional uses of packing and gunny bags still remain, the uses of jute is diverse. Identification of various jute products and formulation of investment programmes for its manufacture and marketing will upgrade industrial skills, promote diversification in this sector and nourish the growth of this Golden Fibre.
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