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Bamboo Could be the Next Best Thing
Reported April 09, 2008
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Bamboo fabric is popular in Asian countries,
but has not caught on in the United States. Now, new research could help
change that popularity.
Chemists in Colorado have found ways to improve bamboo fabric that could
make it more appealing to Americans.
Bamboo is an environmentally friendly fabric that is soft, durable and
elastic. It hangs like silk and has sheen to it. Bamboo is one of the
world’s fastest growing plants, too, reaching maturity in three to four
years compared to 25 to 70 years for other commercial tree species. The
concern with bamboo fabric is it allows almost all damaging UV radiation
through it and because it’s a cellulose fiber, it allows more moisture in
that can lead to bacteria.
Chemists say they have found a way to treat bamboo to make it UV resistant
and improve the antibacterial properties. They did this by first treating
the fabric with UV absorbing chemicals. They tested the fabric and it
reached a level considered safe against UV rays. Then the chemists also
treated the fabric with Tinosan -- an antibacterial agent. Tests revealed a
75 to 80 percent bacterial reduction.
With these new changes, study authors say it could allow bamboo fabric to
gain popularity in the United States and become as popular as it is in other
countries such as Japan, China and India.
SOURCE: Presented at 235th national meeting of the American Chemical
Society in New Orleans, April 6-10, 2008 |
