Description
Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable bast fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. Jute is one of the cheapest natural fibers and, after cotton, the most widely used. Jute fibers are composed primarily of cellulose and lignin. Around 1838, the mechanical spinning of jute was discovered in Dundee, after which its use rapidly expanded. Jute is used, among other things, to make mats to prevent soil erosion. For this application, a biodegradable fiber is essential. Jute is also used to make cloth for wrapping bales of raw cotton and for making bags and raw cloth. The fibers were also frequently woven into curtains, chair covers, and carpets, but for these applications, jute has often been replaced by synthetic material. If biodegradability is essential, jute can be a good alternative to artificial fibers. An example of such a use is the choice of jute as a material for sheaths for young trees, which must be able to be planted directly with the sheath.
