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New products to be showcased at coir fair

KOCHI: The Central Coir Research Institute (CCRI) will showcase a new line of products fashioned out of coir-sisal blend at the India International Coir Fair-2007 here in December.

U.S. Sarma, Director, CCRI, Alappuzha, said that blending coir and sisal produced a soft and thin fibre which had great strength and beauty. The fibre can be used to manufacture shawls, carry bags, hats and caps.

The blend is 80 per cent coir and 20 per cent sisal, said Dr. Sarma. He said the new development was a significant achievement for the coir industry.

He said the normal coir fibre gave an average of 240 metres of coir yarn a kg, while the coir-sisal mix produced 1,300 metres a kg. This made the yarn fine and light for application in new areas.

New products from the mixed yarn were expected to be ready for the December show.

They would be available on a commercial basis next year, said Dr. Sarma. Large-scale production of carry bags using the fibre would be possible in the wake of the ban on the use of plastic carry bags with a thickness of below 30 microns.

Dr. Sarma said the research institute had received approval from the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) for promoting the use of a vegetable oil emulsion for retting coir.

The PCB had approved the process developed by CCRI in view of its effect on reducing pollution of water bodies in which coconut husks were retted before they were de-fibred.

The traditional practice has been to ret the coconut husks in water bodies. This has been a major source of pollution of the Vembanad Lake.

In the new method, fibre from the green husks is sprayed with the vegetable oil-based emulsion and stored for a day in a place with limited aeration.

The fibre acquires good colour and texture, making spinning easy.

The process has been found to reduce pollution and also increase fibre production.

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