Jeans Pai Nai, Spotlight on Jeans Fashion
Diversification of Fibers, Renewable resources
In the United States, conservationists have, for some years, been attempting to rebuild the herds of buffalo (bison) after the animal came close to extinction as the continent was colonized in the 19th century. This is a trend that appears to he gaining momentum, specially in Texas where growing herds of buffalo are being reared.
Wool from slaughtered animals is a growing commodity. In some respects it may he said to compare with cashmere and the wool consists of coarse guard hairs and fine inner hairs to provide thermal protection. This means that when processing fleeces removed by fellmongers, the wool needs, in effect, to be dehaired and the two types of fiber separated.
This was originally a minor problem but it has now been solved and growing volumes of fiber are available for spinning and subsequent processing. Currently the fabrics made from this novelty fibre are confined to a top end exclusive market. A buffalo fiber coat may cost as much as $3,000, but such has been the progress of the product that one grower in Dallas is now seriously considering purchase of a fiber processing plant dedicated to the production of buffalo hair yarns and fabrics
At a time when major chemical companies have divested their fiber interest - or are in process of so doing - it is noteworthy that research and even commercialization of new types of fiber are being taken very seriously by experienced chemical firms such as DuPont, Dow, Shell and Eastman. Ore specific line of thinking appears to be attempting to find systems that can be created using natural and replenishable raw materials rather than oil which is a finite raw material, and which tends to create effectively indestructible products. Waste is a serious and growing problem.
Cargill Dow has established a massive 140,000 tons p.a. plant at Blair, Nebraska. It is producing poly lactic acid - PLA, from locally grown sweet corn. The attractions of this project are that raw materials are replenishable and the product (fiber) is biodegradable so that it will gradually decompose into harmless chemicals. If used as a plastic or, say, a packaging material, PLA will create no waste problems as it will eventually simply disappear.
The original concept was developed through the Cargill Dow Nature Works polymer production system and now a fiber is being marketed made from PLA and it is known by the name Ingeo. Many different textile manufacturers in the US and Europe are now evaluating the fiber which the inventors claim is superior to polyester in terms of moisture management and general comfort.
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