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| − | '''Coir''' (from [[Malayalam]] ''kayaru'' - cord) is a coarse fibre extracted from the fibrous outer shell of a [[coconut]].
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| − | == Structure ==
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| − | These individual fibre cells are narrow and hollow, with thick walls made of [[cellulose]]. They are pale when immature but later become hardened and yellowed as a layer of [[lignin]] 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. They are made up of small threads, each about 1 mm long and 10 to 20 [[micrometre]]s in diameter. White fibre is smoother and finer, but also weaker.
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| − | The coir fibre is relatively water-proof and is one of the few natural fibres resistant to damage by salt water.
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| − | == Processing ==
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| − | [[Image:Coir_segregation.jpg|right|thumb|Segregation of Coir fibre (Allepey, India)]]
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| − | Green coconuts, harvested after about six to twelve months on the plant, contain pliable white fibres. Brown fibre is obtained by harvesting fully mature coconuts when the nutritious layer surrounding the seed is ready to 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 down onto a spike to split it (''De-husking''). Machines are now available which crush the whole fruit to give the loose fibres.
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| − | ===Brown fibre===
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| − | 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 ''wet-milling''. 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. The longer bristle fibre is washed in clean water and then dried before 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. Coir bristle fibre can also be bleached and dyed to obtain hanks of different colours.
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| − | ===White fibre===
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| − | The immature husks are suspended in a river or water-filled pit for up to ten months. During this time [[micro-organisms]] 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 which are subsequently dried and cleaned. Cleaned fibre is ready for spinning into yarn using a simple one-handed system or a spinning wheel.
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| − | ==Uses==
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| − | Brown coir is used in floormats and [[mat|doormats]], [[brush]]es, mattresses and sacking. A small amount is also made into [[twine]]. Pads of curled brown coir fibre, made by ''needle-felting'' (a machine technique that mats the fibres together) are shaped and cut to fill mattresses and for use in erosion control on river banks and hillsides. A major proportion of brown coir pads are sprayed with rubber [[latex]] which bonds the fibres together (rubberized coir) to be used as upholstery padding for the automobile industry in Europe. The material is also used for [[Thermal insulation|insulation]] and packaging.
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| − | The major use of white coir is in [[rope]] manufacture. Mats of woven coir fibre are made from the finer grades of bristle and white fibre using hand or mechanical looms.
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| − | In [[horticulture]], coir is recommended as substitute for [[peat]] because it is free of [[bacterium|bacteria]] and [[fungus|fungal]] [[spore]]s, and is sustainably produced without the [[natural environment|environment]]al damage caused by peat mining.
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| − | == Major producers ==
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| − | Total world coir fibre production is 250,000 [[ton]]nes. 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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| − | == External links ==
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| − | *[http://www.cocomatsnmore.com Coco Mat Distributor in United States]
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| − | *[http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ksheets/coir.html Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew - Information Sheet]
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| − | *[http://www.onevillage.org/coirsociety.htm How coir mats are made]
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| − | [[Category:Fibers]]
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| − | [[Category:Textiles]]
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| − | [[fr:Coir]]
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| − | [[ru:Койр]]
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