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::AboutCoir::

ABOUTCOIR|COIRTRADE|PROJECTS|RESOURCES|PUBLICATIONS|SCHEMES|DIRECTORIES|TENDERS|RESEARCH

ABOUTCOCOUNTFIBRE

COIRisaversatilenaturalfibreextractedfrommesocarptissue,orhuskof
the coconut fruit Generally fibre is of golden color when cleaned after
removingfromcoconuthuskandhencethename"TheGoldenFibre".
Coir is the fibrous husk of the coconut shell. Being tough and naturally
resistant to seawater, the coir protects the fruit enough to survive months
floatingonoceancurrentstobewasheduponasandyshorewhereitmay
sprout and grow into a tree, if it has enough fresh water, because all the
other nutrients it needs have been carried along with the seed. These
characteristics make the fibers quite useful in floor and outdoor mats,
aquariumfilters,cordageandrope,andgardenmulch.

StructureofCoirFibre
The individual fibre cells are narrow and hollow, with thick walls made of
cellulose. They are pale when immature but later become hardened and
yellowedasalayeroflignin,isdepositedontheirwalls.Maturebrowncoir
fibres contain more lignin and less cellulose than fibres such as flax and
cotton and so are stronger but less flexible. They are made up of small
threads,eachlessthan0.05inch(1.3mm)longand10to20micrometres
in diameter. White fibre is smoother and finer, but also weaker. The coir
fibre is relatively waterproof and is the only natural fibre resistant to
damagebysaltwater.
Green coconuts, harvested after about six to twelve months on the plant,
contain pliable white fibres. Brown fibre is obtained by harvesting fully
maturecoconutswhenthenutritiouslayersurroundingtheseedisreadyto
be processed into copra and desiccated coconut. The fibrous layer of the
fruit is then separated from the hard shell (manually) by driving the fruit
downontoaspiketosplitit(Dehusking).Machinesarenowavailablewhich
crushthewholefruittogivetheloosefibres.

Brownfibre
The fibrous husks are soaked in pits or in nets in a slow moving body of
water to swell and soften the fibres. The long bristle fibres are separated
from the shorter mattress fibres underneath the skin of the nut, a process
known as wetmilling. The mattress fibres are sifted to remove dirt and
other rubbish, dried and packed into bales. Some mattress fibre is allowed
to retain more moisture so that it retains its elasticity for 'twisted' fibre
production.The coir fibre is elastic enough to twist without breaking and it
holds a curl as though permanently waved. Twisting is done by simply
making a rope of the hank of fibre and twisting it using a machine or by
hand.Thelongerbristlefibreiswashedincleanwaterandthendriedbefore
being tied into bundles or hunks. It may then be cleaned and 'hackled' by
steel combs to straighten the fibres and remove any shorter fibre pieces.

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Coirbristlefibrecanalsobebleachedanddyedtoobtainhanksofdifferent
colours.

WhiteFibre
Theimmaturehusksaresuspendedinariverorwaterfilledpitforuptoten
months. During this time microorganisms break down the plant tissues
surrounding the fibres to loosen them a process known as retting.
Segments of the husk are then beaten by hand to separate out the long
fibres,whicharesubsequentlydriedandcleaned.Cleanedfibreisreadyfor
spinningintoyarnusingasimpleonehandedsystemoraspinningwheel.

Uses/Applications
Brown coir is used in brushes, doormats, mattresses and sacking. A small
amount is also made into twine. Pads of curled brown coir fibre, made by
needlefelting (a machine technique that mats the fibres together) are
shaped and cut to fill mattresses and for use in erosion control on river
banksandhillsides.Amajorproportionofbrowncoirpadsaresprayedwith
rubberlatexwhichbondsthefibrestogether(rubberizedcoir)tobeusedas
upholstery padding for the automobile industry in Europe. The material is
also used for insulation and packaging. The major use of white coir is in
ropemanufacture.Matsofwovencoirfibrearemadefromthefinergrades
of bristle and white fibre using hand or mechanical looms. Coir is
recommended as substitute for milled peat moss because it is free of
bacteriaandfungalspores.

MajorProducers
Totalworldcoirfibreproductionis250,000tonnes.Thecoirfibreindustryis
particularly important in some areas of the developing world. India, mainly
thecoastalregionofKeralaState,produces60%ofthetotalworldsupplyof
white coir fibre. Sri Lanka produces 36% of the total world brown fibre
output.Over50%ofthecoirfibreproducedannuallythroughouttheworldis
consumedinthecountriesoforigin,mainlyIndia.

SomeCoirFacts
COIRisaversatilenaturalfibreextractedfrommesocarptissue,orhuskof
the coconut fruit. The husk contains 20% to 30% fibre of varying length.
After grinding the husk, the long fibres are removed and used for various
industrialpurposes,suchasropeandmatmaking.Theremainingmaterial,
composed of short and mediumlength fibres as well as pith tissue, is
commonly referred to as wastegrade coir. The waste grade coir may be
screened to remove part or all of the fibre, and the remaining product is
referredtoascoirpith.

TheWondersofCoir
Mothproofresistanttofungiandrot.
Providesexcellentinsulationagainsttemperatureandsound.
Noteasilycombustible.
Flameretardant.
Unaffectedbymoistureanddampness.
Toughanddurable.
Resilientspringsbacktoshapeevenafterconstantuse.
Totallystaticfree.
Easytoclean.

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