Manufacturing Process of Bamboo Fabric

Bamboo is grown on plantations and logged by hand. It is then finely shredded and bamboo cellulose is extracted. Impurities are then removed leaving only the finest quality fibers which are pulped into a cardboard-like sheet. The pulp is then broken down before being made into a spun or filament fiber.

Natural bamboo fiber textile is extracted directly from bamboo culms, and completely different from bamboo viscose, which is produced by chemical processing.

Bamboo fiber is made of cellulose and is being produced by processing methods such as steaming and boiling, etc. in industrial machinery designed specifically for these processes.

The FTC classifies all man made fibers that use cellulose from plants as rayon. Historically viscose rayon has been manufactured using a process in which fairly toxic chemicals chemically convert the cellulose into a soluble compound which is in turn regenerated into almost pure cellulose; hence the term 'regenerated cellulose fiber'. This process removes any natural characteristics of the original cellulose.

In contrast to this is a new method for converting plant cellulose into a usable fiber. This was first done in 1992 by a company using wood fiber, and is now identified as Lyocell and marketed in the US under the name Tencel.

Bamboo fiber used in spinning yarn for textiles is manufactured the same way as Lyocell (wood fiber), with the same organic solvent N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (amine oxide). This solvent is non-toxic and completely recycled during the manufacturing process. So although bamboo is classified as rayon by the FTC because it is made from cellulose it is actually a subset of rayon that uses a separate process from viscose to convert the bamboo cellulose to a spinnable form (bamboo rayon is NOT therefore the same as viscose rayon).

One of the great advantages of this process is that there is no formation of a derivative and therefore the natural characteristics of the cellulose are retained in the final product.

For the moment, China is the only country where natural bamboo fiber is manufactured on a commercial scale. Using natural bamboo fiber or bamboo fiber mixed with other materials such as organic cotton, spandex, and polyester, various bamboo textile fabrics with different colors and styles are produced and exported to many countries like Europe and the USA.

Conscious companies choose to manufacture finished textiles vertically to reduce multiple transportation costs and support growers and textile manufacturers who work and live nearby this abundant natural resource.

Bamboo: Choosing green fulfillment for healthy living everyday.

Please review other articles for additional important information about bamboo fabric.

Contact: we.bamboo@yahoo.com

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