Coconut Fibre is one of the oldest natural fibres found in
the world today. It has been in using for more a millennium though various
coastal regions. Many household and industrial products are being made from
this fibre. Coir is obtained from the fruit of the coconut tree. Strong water
resistant fibres cover the inner fruit of the coconut. The inner white flesh of
the fruit inside is covered by brown hard kernel. The fibrous layer forms a
strong, shock-absorbing mesh which protects the seed from mechanical damage and
is water-resistant. The individual fibre cells are narrow and hollow, with
thick walls made of cellulose. They are pale when immature but later they
become hardened and yellowed when a layer of lignin, a complex woody chemical,
is deposited on their walls. Mature brown coir fibres contain more lignin and
less cellulose than fibres such as flax and cotton and so are stronger but less
flexible. White fibre is smoother and finer than the harder brown fibre but is
also weaker. The coir fibre is relatively water-proof and is the only natural
fibre resistant to damage by salt water.
Coconut trees are found throughout the coastal regions of
different parts of the world. Some of the main regions include the Indo-Malaysian
region, on the Ivory Coast, Dahomey and Togo, West Africa and in Mozambique,
Kenya, Tanzania and Central and South America. Coconut palms are among the most
useful plants grown by people, providing valuable commodities in the form of
copra (dried coconut flesh) and oil, as well as building material, thatch,
food, drink and ornament. Total world coir fibre production is 250,000 tonnes.
The coir fibre industry is particularly important in some areas of the
developing world. India, mainly the coastal region of Kerala State, produces
60% of the total world supply of white coir fibre. Sri Lanka produces 36% of
the total world brown fibre output. Over 50% of the coir fibre produced
annually throughout the world is consumed in the countries of origin, mainly
India.
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