INTRODUCTION
Kapok is a silky fibre obtained from the pod of kapok tree.
This tree is grown principally in java, Africa, Netherlands, south east Asia, where the soil and hot climatic conditions are specially suited for its growth.
This tree grows to a height of 35 meters.
The fibres are being separated by hand, or by mechanical methods and further cleaned by air separation method.
The unripe or unmatured pods should be eliminated. Around 20,000 to 25,000 pods are required to produce 100 kilograms of fibre.
After the collection, the fibres can be pressed into bales and transported for further processing.
PROPERTIES OF KAPOK FIBRE
• Light weight: the hollow core makes kapok very light, 8 times lighter than cotton by volume.
• Buoyant: the waxy coating helps repel water, and air bubbles are usually trapped in lumen, making kapok 5 times more buoyant than cork. Kapok can support as much as 30 times its weight in water. In the past, kapok was used to fill life jackets.
• Bounciness: kapok resists clumping (i.e. it does not become lumpy) it also bounces back to the original shape after washing, a useful property when stuffing soft toys. It is traditionally used for stuffing teddy bears, giving them quite a different feel to modern polyester stuffing.
• Packs down firmly: this characteristic makes kapok useful to stuff meditation cushions.
• Slippery: the waxy coating also makes kapok slippery, it therefore easily adjusts to shape, for example of the head on a pillow.
• Hypoallergenic
• Warm: the cell structure allows it to trap air making kapok a good fibre to use for insulation.
• Environmentally friendly: unlike polyester stuffing, kapok is a natural biodegradable fibre. It can be reused many times without developing mould or decaying.
END USES OF KAPOK FIBRE
The fibres are mostly used in jackets, sleeping bags, insulating materials and upholstery.
REFERANCES
1. A Textbook of Fiber Science and Technology – S.P Mishra
2. Textiles: Fiber to Fabric by Bernard P Corbman
By:
Mr. Kiran Kumar. P
(Asst. Senior Professor, Textiles)
Garden City University
Bengaluru
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