A fabric made out of banana fibre could well be the next green apparel of the future. Researchers at MS University’s department of clothing and textile have designed woven and non-woven fabrics of the fibre obtained from pseudo stem of the banana plant. The fabric, say researchers, can be cheaper than cotton and linen if produced on a mass scale.
“We have been successful in making woven and non-woven fabrics from the banana fibre. We treated the long length banana fibres with chemicals and oils to soften it to make it more flexible. After the treatment, the fibres were cut into staple length and twisted with semi-synthetic or regenerated fibres to develop a range of fabric,” Amrita Doshi, who conducted the study said.
“The strong and durable banana fibres are creamy white to brown in colour. Fabrics made out of the fibre possess good luster, light weight and have faster moisture absorption. This woven fabric looks similar to linen,” Doshi said.
The biodegradable fabric will be substantially cheaper than cotton and linen if produced at mass scale. It can also be blended with cotton and dyed into beautiful shades with natural and synthetic dyes to make it a fashionable apparel, she added.
Paper, handicrafts, mats and home decor products have also been prepared from the banana fibre. A blended fabric can also be woven from variety of yarns that include viscose, modal and excel.