Donghua University professor Wang Fumei has been conducting research and development on kapok technology for 8 years. According to her introduction, kapok fiber is a naturally ultrafine and highly hollow fiber. Its fiber hollowness is 86%, far surpassing other fibers. It has the characteristics of being clean, antibacterial, mothproof, mildew-proof, soft, not easily tangled, waterproof, and non-thermal conductive, with extensive applications in aviation, medicine, textiles, papermaking, construction, and other industries.
Shanghai Pandar Industrial (Group) Co., Ltd. is one of the earliest domestic companies engaged in kapok textile production and kapok cultivation. Its founder Yan Guoxin and others collaborated with Donghua University and the Shanghai Textile Research Institute to carry out the application and technological development of kapok series materials, applying for seven invention patents. They successfully developed a new spinning technology, rewriting the conclusion that kapok is only suitable as a filler and not suitable for spinning. Their kapok spinning technology was evaluated by authoritative experts from institutions such as the China Textile Industry Association and Donghua University, with some technologies filling the national gap. In October 2008, this technology won the only gold award in the textile category at the China International Invention Exhibition. Shanghai Pandar Group successfully spun ring-spun and air-jet spun yarns using kapok fibers and established a kapok tree plantation base in Gejiu, Yunnan, laying the foundation for large-scale and technological development of the kapok industry.
The previous page 1 2 Next Page
Kapok fiber is the fruit fiber of the woody kapok tree, attached to the inner wall of the kapok capsule shell, developed and grown from the inner wall cells. The adhesion between its fibers and the fruit is weak, so there is generally no need for special primary processing equipment; just shaking a basket will allow the kapok seeds to sink to the bottom, obtaining kapok fibers. Kapok fiber is a natural cellulose fiber, belonging to the same single-cell fiber as cotton fiber. However, kapok fiber has a series of unique features: its fineness is only half of cotton fiber, but its hollowness reaches 86%, two to three times that of ordinary cotton fibers. This means that kapok underwear is lighter, thinner, and has better thermal insulation than underwear made from regular fibers. Kapok fibers are shorter, ranging from 8mm to 34mm in length, with mid-section diameters ranging from 20μm to 45μm and linear density from 0.9 to 1.2 dtex. In terms of strength and elongation, kapok fibers have lower strength and less elongation capability. The average strength of a single fiber is 1.4~1.7cN, the specific strength of the fiber is 0.8~1.3cN/dtex, and the breaking elongation rate is 1.5%~3.0%.
In recent years, with the development of new spinning techniques and the efforts of scientific researchers, the yarn-making technology of kapok fibers has continued to break through.
Plant Soft Gold Performs Uniquely, Techniques Breakthroughs Increase Utilization
Due to its short length, low strength, smooth surface, relatively high rotational stiffness, and poor cohesion, it is difficult to spin kapok fibers, resulting in lower yarn quality. These characteristics make it hard to use kapok alone with the spinning methods used for cotton or wool. For a long time, due to issues with the yield and processability of kapok fibers, kapok has only been used to produce low-grade padding products, affecting its development and utilization in the textile industry.
Kapok fibers are hailed as "plant soft gold," being the finest, lightest, most hollow, and best-insulating natural fiber material currently available. After more than 8 years of research and development, the application of kapok fibers in the textile field has become increasingly widespread. As a new ecological textile material, under the current situation of tight fiber material resources, the promotion and application of kapok fibers have gained more attention.
Currently, the Kapok Technology Innovation and Industrial Development Strategy Alliance is under preparation. Industry leaders and experts such as Academician Yao Mu of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Vice President Xu Wenying of the China Textile Industry Association, President Zhu Baina of the China Cotton Textile Industry Association, Director An Chengxin of the China Desertification Control Foundation, Professor Wang Fumei of Donghua University, and enterprises like Jinka La Clothing Co., Ltd. and Ji Hua Company actively support this initiative. Establishing an industrial development strategy alliance plays a significant role in developing textile products using natural kapok fibers and promoting the rapid development of the kapok industry. After more than 8 years of technical research and exploration, the kapok industry is about to enter a prosperous development phase.
Additionally, kapok fibers have better moisture absorption than cotton fibers, with a standard moisture regain of 10%~10.73%. Its average refractive index is 1.718, slightly higher than the average refractive index of cotton fibers at 1.596. Kapok fibers have good acid and alkali resistance, with no effect from dilute acids and weak alkalis at room temperature. Kapok fibers come in white, yellow, and brown-yellow colors and can be dyed with direct dyes.