Milkweed fiber : Study
The Union Ministry of Textiles is encouraging by extending its research and development efforts into new natural fibers, including milkweed fiber.
- Milkweed fiber is the seed fiber obtained from milkweed plant.
- Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) plant belongs to the genus Asclepias of the family Asclepiadaceae and is also known as stubborn weed.
- In India, it is found as a wild plant in the Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
- Milkweed contains an abundance of milk sap in its leaves, stems and pods.
- It contains oily material and lignin, a woody plant substance, which makes them too brittle for spinning.
- It has a hydrophobic–oleophobic surface due to the natural waxes found on the surface of the fiber.
- It is used in paper industries.
- In addition, it is also used as an insulative filling material.
- It is used in such water-safety equipment as life jackets and belts.
- Researchers discovered that it readily absorbs oil while simultaneously repelling water, thus making it an effective fiber to help clean up oil spills.
