The first thought that many of us have when we think of vegetables is the memory of our parents forcing us to sit at the table until we had finished eating all the peas or carrots on our dinner plate. Those were grueling moments trying to choke down a small pile of overcooked veggies before we could leave the table and get back to video games! Thankfully those are not the vegetables we are talking about today!
Vegetable fibers, or cellulosic fibers are fibers made from cellulose, a natural polymer found in plants that gives structure to their cell walls. These fibers are commonly used in textiles, paper making, and building materials, and are appreciated for their strength, durability, and eco-friendliness. Cellulosic fibers can come from different parts of a plant, like the stem, leaf, or seed. Cotton, made from seed, is by far the most popular example. Other important types include flax, jute, ramie, bamboo, and hemp, which are known as bast fibers.
Cellulosic fibers are biodegradable and more eco-friendly than synthetic ones, with each type offering unique properties. In conveyor belting, the most commonly used “veggies” are cotton and flax.
Cellulose, the main component of these fibers, is the most abundant natural organic polymer on Earth. Every year, photosynthesis produces billions of tons of it worldwide.
Cellulosic fibers can be either naturally sourced or man-made, but natural options are easily harvested from plants. Cotton, for example, is a seed fiber that grows on the seeds of cotton plants. Bast fibers, like flax (used for linen), ramie, and jute, come from plant stems. Leaf fibers, such as sisal and pina, are harvested from plant leaves.
There are several types of cellulosic fibers, which can be classified into two categories: Natural cellulosic fibers & regenerated cellulosic fibers.
Natural cellulosic fibers are derived directly from plants without chemical alteration. These fibers are commonly used in textiles, industrial applications, and more, thanks to their eco-friendly and versatile properties. The list of examples is long, but a few common ones are cotton, linen, hemp, and bamboo. We often don’t give a shoutout to the less common of any category, so here’s also to jute, abaca, ramie, nettle, and kenaf.
Regenerated cellulosic fibers are man-made by chemically dissolving cellulose and reforming it into fibers. These fibers are often used as eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic or natural fibers. There are less examples of the regenerated cellulosic fibers, but they include rayon, lyocell, modal, and viscose.
A few shared properties of cellulosic fibers are their softness, absorbency, breathability, durability, sustainability, versatility, and affordability. What a list! If we knew our plate of veggies included all of those properties, I think we would have been quicker to choke them down!
So what are some of the main uses for these amazing cellulosic fibers? Clothing of course would come to mind first, as well as home textiles like linens, towels, and tablecloths. Industrial fabrics and medical textiles are also key uses, along with packaging materials and personal care products.
Whether you were a child who ate their veggies or hid them under your plate, I think we can all agree that vegetable fibers are an extremely important fiber to highlight and celebrate, and that there are very few products, belting products included, that are not injected in some way with these durable, breathable, sustainable cellulosic gems!