Textile Technology second semester

RAMIE bre

Is a bast bre obtained from the stem of ramie plant.

Known as many names such as china grass, white ramie, green ramie, or rhea

belongs to the Urticaceae or Nettle family

During the period 5000 – 3000 BC, cloth made from ramie ber was used in mummy
cloths in Egypt.

Origin

One of the oldest textile bres


ramie bre is being used since ancient age. The ramie bre used for wrapping of mummy
in Egypt during the period of 5000- 3000 BC.

Originated in the Malay Peninsula

has been cultivated in eastern Asia for bre since prehistoric times

20th century, the people used ramie bre to make a open weave fabric called "mechera"
for shirts and gowns to be used in warm climates.

commercial production of ramie products did not achieve importance in the West until the
1930s

Production method

can be harvested up to 6 times a year and have a life from 6 to 20 years


China leads in the production of ramie and exports mainly to Japan and Europe

The process of transforming the ramie bers into fabric is similar to the process used for
manufacturing linen from ax

Harvesting takes place when the lower portion of the stalk turns brown and the tips of
new stalks appear. The stalks are usually cut by hand.

Ramie bres are obtained by decortication, a hand or mechanical process in which the
bark and the adhering bre are separated from the stalk and soaked in water, allowing the
bre to be scraped from the bark.Because decortication must be done as soon as
possible after harvest, a harvesting schedule is devised in proportion to the decortication
capability of the equipment in use.

After, the bers need to go through degumming. It is a process in which the gum from the
bre is removed to avoid it becoming sti ,. This increases the tenacity, wet strength,
extensibility

bers extracted from ramie are very ne just like silk and are naturally white in color Being
a cellulosic ber like cotton, linen, and rayon, ramie is often blended with cotton to
manufacture fabrics that resemble ne linen to coarse canvas.

Properties & Applications

one of the strongest natural bers having rich cellulose content

favourable climate with steady high temperature, a humid atmosphere and a well-
distributed annual rainfall of not less than 1.125 mm

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
 grow best in well-drained sandy soil and warm moist climates with evenly distributed
rainfall

almost 6 times stronger than cotton, 2 times that of ax and almost equals silk in its
lustre. The bre is coarser and consists of hairs, projecting from the surface, its length
varies considerably from 40-200 mm and the bre diameter is around 25-30 μm

Ramie bre is easily identi ed by its coarseness, thick walls, lacks twist and has striated
surfaces. As well as a poor elasticity

Ramie is used for those purposes for which ax and hemp are normally used-particularly
for twines and threads, for which purposes its properties of strength and lack of stretch
make it most suitable. when ramie bers are spun wet, they create a soft, silky yarn and
when ramie bers are spun dry, they create a hairy, sti er yarn.

Critical view

Ecological/ethical problems? Any alternatives?

ramie may or may not be biodegradable depending on what materials are used, ramie
degrades slower than cotton inside the lab, indicating it takes slightly longer for it to
naturally degrade into the soil, non-organic cotton cannot simply biodegrade due to the
large number of dyes or nishing chemicals applied

ramie is sustainable unless blended with wool or non organic cotton

Concerning the production : some use fertilizers such as potassium oxide, nitrogen or
phosphorus oxide which can leach into groundwater or emit gases into the
atmosphere. Some also use pesticide which are also a threat to the environment. This can
be avoided because the ramie plant is naturally resistant to bacteria and other pests
(pesticides aren’t needed) and it grows also really fast (does not need chemical fertilizers).
-> can be produced naturally and sustainably

The degumming process often implicates various types of chemicals such as sulphuric
acid or sodium hydroxide. This contributes to freshwater pollution, ground acidi cation,
and ozone. So it needs to be appropriately treated before being disposed.

And ramie does not need as much water as cotton. Rainfall is enough to grow ramie.

Designers/Fashion Labels that address these problems and use the alternatives

A lot of brands use ramie as a more sustainable option for their products.

Savannah morrow the label: partners directly with artisans in rural communities and
weaving villages who produce the brand’s garments. Majority of the garments are hand
woven and hand dyed.

Zimmerman: is a womenswear brand committed to creating beautiful clothing without

neglecting social and environmental responsibility. The brand uses natural bers like
cotton, silk, linen, wool, and ramie for 90% of its collections.

Dreassarte Paris: ustainable womenswear brand that makes garments using up cycled
and recycled eco friendly fabrics. They also have 100% ramie clothing collection.

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fl
ff
fi
fi
 Sources

https://www.britannica.com/plant/ramie https://www.textileadvisor.com/2019/12/
ramie- bre-cultivation-of-ramie- bre.html https://www.yarnsand bers.com/textile-
resources/natural- bers/plant-cellulosic- bers- natural- bers/ramie- ber/about-
ramie- ber/what-is-ramie- ber/ https://alchetron.com/Ramie

https://scialert.net/fulltext/?doi=ajt.2017.1.9

https://www.trvst.world/sustainable-living/fashion/ramie-fabric-sustainability/#h-is-
ramie-fabric-sustainable

https://consciousfashion.co/ramie-clothing

fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi