News: The Ministry of Textiles is promoting research and development into innovative natural fibers, such as milkweed fiber.
About Milkweed Fiber
- It is a unique natural fiber extracted from the seed pods of milkweed
plants (Asclepias syriaca L).- The plant is native to North America. In India, it is found as a wild plant in Rajasthan, Karnataka & Tamil Nadu.
- Properties:
- It contains oily material and lignin, a woody plant substance, which makes them too brittle for spinning.
- It is extremely lightweight and soft.
- It is biodegradable and a renewable resource.
- It is an amphiphilic material, capable of displaying both hydrophilic (water-absorbing) and hydrophobic (water-repelling or resisting) properties.
- Applications:
- It is used in such water-safety equipment as life jackets and belts etc.
- Its fine fiber structure can trap particles, making it suitable for filtration applications.
