Geotextiles fruit fibres

The fibres used for natural geotextile products are plant or vegetable fibres, although some research and development studies have considered the use of very low grade sheep s wool and wool waste. Figure 11.1 shows a classification of well known natural fibres. However, the only ones that meet with the technical requirements, cost effectively, are the bast fibres jute, hemp, kenaf and flax (also called soft fibres because they are from the softer region of the plants), and the hard (or leaf) and fruit fibres sisal and coir. Others of the remaining fibres, e.g. wood fibres, are sometimes used as fillers within the textile structure. 

Of the natural fibres, vegetable or plant fibres are the only ones that have suitable properties to meet technical requirements cost effectively for use as natural geotextiles. Plant fibres can be further classified according to the part of the plant as principal sources from which they are extracted bast fibres, leaf fibres and fruit or seed fibres. Fig. 4.1 shows a brief classification of textile fibres. 

Gourc J-P, Faure Y. Soil particles, water and fibres - a fruitful interaction now controlled. In Proceedings of the 4th international conference on geotextiles, geomembranes and related products. The Hague, Netherlands 1990. 

The dimensions of natural fibres represent an alternate important aspect. The geometrical dimensions of these fibres, especially the fibre length, depend mainly on the fibre s location within the plant. Fibres from fruits and seeds are a few centimetres long whereas fibres from stems and leaves are much longer (>1 m). Table 4.4 compares some related properties and characteristics of natural fibres for geotextile applications. 

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