A wide range of textiles created from the bamboo plant are collectively called “bamboo fabric”. Although bamboo has been used to make textiles for thousands of years, the technique for turning this resilient and quickly growing wood into fabric has only recently been refined.
Bamboo cloth has a convoluted history. While some varieties of this cloth are made ethically and sustainably, others could be bad for the environment or the people who make them. Educating yourself on the bamboo textile industry is crucial to ensure you get the appropriate kind of bamboo fabric. .Let’s see how sustainable clothing manufacturers produce the bamboo fabric.
How is fabric made from bamboo?
Bamboo textiles can be made in various ways, depending on the kind of cloth being made. Bamboo viscose is the most common type of bamboo fabric manufactured globally; despite its low cost of production, it poses risks to workers’ health and the environment.
The first step in producing bamboo fabric is the cellulose extraction from wood pulp. To get rid of the cellulose, wood is first broken up into tiny pieces and then subjected to chemical solvents. Bamboo fabric is made using various methods involving hazardous chemicals like caustic soda.
Extracted cellulose is compacted into sheets, subjected to carbon disulfide, and filtered to create a wearable fabric. The cellulose is then forced through a spinneret, which separates it into strands. After being submerged in a sulfuric acid vat to form filaments, these strands are spun into yarn that may be used to weave fabrics.
Closed-loop production method
Alternatively, a closed-loop production method can be used to produce bamboo cellulose. Closed-loop rayon production produces an organic fabric because, unlike the technique used to generate viscose rayon, the cellulose structure utilized in the process is not chemically altered. The environmental impact of this industry is significantly reduced by the fact that solvents used in closed-loop rayon production may be reused again, whereas the solvent used to produce regular Bamboo fabric is wasted and typically ends up in the biosphere.
The best-grade bamboo cloth is produced using non-cellulose extraction techniques. Instead, the fibres of crushed bamboo wood are treated with a natural enzyme, and after that, they are cleaned and spun into yarn. This yarn typically has a silky texture, and the cloth created in this way is occasionally called bamboo linen.
Making bamboo fabric produces a robust and long-lasting cloth without harming the environment. To ensure you’re obtaining high-quality bamboo fabric, make sure it’s formed using a mechanical rather than a chemical technique. Nevertheless, most types of bamboo fabric still need to be prepared using this method.
What is the price of bamboo fabric?
Bamboo Cloth This kind of wood can be used to make comparable semi-synthetic fabrics that are often less expensive than cotton. This lower cost is occasionally transferred to the customer. However, sustainable fabric suppliers mechanically supplies genuine bamboo fabric is nearly always more expensive than cotton, while it could be less expensive than premium cotton varieties like Egyptian, Pima, and Supima cotton.