Jute Fibres

Table of Contents

• Obtaining Jute fibres
• Summary
• Did You Know?
• What’s Next?

In the previous segment of the chapter ‘Fibre to Fabric’, we got introduced to various types of fibres. In this segment let us look at the first one, that is Jute fibres.

How are jute fibres obtained?

Jute has a wide variety of applications right from garments to packing material. Let us now see how we can obtain jute fibres.

Jute fibre is obtained from the stem of the jute plant. This process of obtaining fibres from the stem involves the following steps:

1. The stem of the plant is selected and cut appropriately.
2. The next step is Retting. Retting is a simple process where the stem of the jute plant is exposed to two major factors. One is running water, and the second is the microbial activity. The external layers get rotten, but they need to be separated from the inner fibres.
3. The next step is Stripping. In this, the workers strip the external layers of rotten tissue and the non-fibrous matter that is of no use to us. They then reach the inner part where the fibres are present.
4. Ultimately, the fibres are removed, separated from each other and processed further.

The jute plant is usually harvested when it reaches the flowering stage.

Summary