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 worlds 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 its 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
