Most of the 90’s kids would have grown up seeing some or the other product from brown hard fibred material at their homes, especially the gunny bags for ration, rugs, ropes, etc. That material is “Coir”. The use of coir seems to be in vogue since the 11th Century AD. It has been allegedly being used in rigging and sailboats. However, it has slowly seen a downward trend in recent decades with advent of Industrialization. But now a whole new market is being created for affordable ‘SUSTAINABLE/GREEN’ products globally, wherein coir products can make their own niche space.
In this blog, Gharpedia brings all the information about this new green material like what is coir, coir manufacturing, coir products and their uses etc. This will surely be helpful and will lead you towards low cost and eco-friendly material.
What is Coir?
As per the coir definition, “coir is astiff,coarsefibre from the outer husk of a coconut.” The coir isalso known as ‘Katha’ (Gujarati), ‘Kayar’ (Hindi, Malayalam), ‘tennai’ (Thamizh), etc.
Coir Manufacturing: Traditional & Mechanical Method
Coir is manufactured from coconut fibres which is considered waste after coconut water with its interior white tender flesh has been consumed. Firstly, fibres from the coconut seeds are dried and extracted. These fibres can be extracted traditionally and mechanically.
Traditional Method
In the traditional method of coir manufacturing, fibres are dehusked from the seed and are retted in brackish water, with the time span ranging from three to twelve months, depending on the need of the end product. They are then beaten up, followed by hackling, washing and drying to loosen up the fibres.
Mechanical Method
Mechanically the dehusking process can take place right after 5 days of retting in a defibering machine. Following this, the fibres are separated according to their length in revolving drums.
After this, the fibres are sent for spinning and production. Fibres from 10 to 12 months old seeds are best to make light-colored spin-able fibre. The left-over waste from it is known as pith and is used in gardening. However, at the end of its shelf life, it can easily get decomposed with the soil.
It is available readily as well as at a dirt-cheap price. This wholesome package gives it an additional edge over other products from the same range. Understanding the whole life cycle of this product gives us a better idea of how little carbon footprint it consumes, making it ideal to be marketed as a ‘GREEN’ product. Coirmanufacturing process can be easily replicated, where coconut plants/waste is abundant. In the end, it is a very lucrative business for MSME & cottage industries, which can employ more local people. Not only coir but we have written about many green products or building materials which can be the best alternative option to building your house. Read: 8 Eco Friendly Building Materials Utilised in Green/Sustainable Buildings!
India and Sri Lanka are the primary countries that produce and export coir products. The Government of India has established the Coir Board to support and ease the working of this growing industry. Kerala is the largest producer of coir products in India. Even global organizations Food and Agriculture of United Nations, have recognized the usefulness of coir. An annual fest called ‘International Coir Festival’ is organized in India to promote the coir industry. A considerable amount of R&D is happening in these countries for further development of this industry.
Coir Products & Its Uses
Coir products are also referred as a coconut fibre products. They are available in markets in the form of ropes, yarns, fabrics, panels and other relevant products, which make it one of the most versatile materials available. They are available as raw as well as finished products. A broad range of coconut fibre products are available and are discussed below:
01. Use of Coin Products in Architecture
- Coir Rope or Coir Yarn
- Natural Fibre Reinforced Panel (NFRP)
- Insulation
- Composite Panel Cladding
02. Use of Coin Products in Interiors
- Ply / High Density Board / Wood
- Acoustic Panels
- Coir Mats or Coir Rugs
03. Use of Coconut Coir for Gardening
- Coir Geotextiles for Gardening/Farming
- Coir Pith or Coir Peat
- Coir Garden Articles
04. Use of Coir in Other Relevant Domain
- Coir Geotextiles for Control Soil Erosion
- Coir Brushes or Coir Brooms
Let’s take a detailed look:
01. Use of Coir Products in Architecture
01. Coir Rope or Coir Yarn
It is commonly used to fasten the bamboo or casuarina poles for scaffolding. In addition, doors and windows are temporarily fastened to support by coir rope during construction. Traditionally it has been used in mud construction as reinforcement. Advanced research is being carried to replace it with steel in conventional concrete construction that can be made lightweight using coir. According to CPWD guidelines for Sustainable Homes(2014), it is considered a very efficient material as it has very low embodied energy. It has very high tensile strength. It is a natural coolant as it has low thermal conductivity.
02. Natural Fibre Reinforced Panel (NFRP)
It is a substitute for High-Density Board and is made with an alternative layer of jute and coir fibre fused with resins at high pressure. Doors and partitions can be made from this.
03. Insulation
Ordinary Portland cement, lime, fly ash and coir fibre is fused to make the insulation panels. These are screwed to the wall keeping an air gap, which helps keep the ambient temperature comfortable in extreme climatic conditions.
04. Composite Panel Cladding
The panel is made by hot pressing various coconut husk aggregates and shells. Various patterns can be embossed on them and these panels are waterproof. In-depth research is being carried out to understand their additional properties.
02. Use of Coir Products in Interiors
01. Coconut FibrePly / High-Density Board / Wood
Just like ordinary ply, coir ply is also made with alternative coir layer compressed with resins in a hydraulic press. It is available in 3 mm, 4 mm, 6 mm, 9 mm, 12 mm, 16 mm, and `8 mm, 20 mm & 25 mm thick sheets. It is used as an alternative to ply/wood for making cabinets and other household furniture.
02. Acoustic Panels
Acoustic panels are essentially made from layers of coir fibre. For improved sound absorption, porous plates are added to these panels. It is highly customizable to suit the sound absorption quality. It is available as wall tile and ceiling panels.
Before choosing your acoustic panel, please go through our blog Acoustical Panels | Soundproof Panels for Ceilings and Walls to understand what acoustic panels are and know their types, applications and characteristics.
03. Coir Mats or Coir Rugs
It is a product obtained from weaving coir yarns. The yarn is available in several finishes which are weaved in different patterns to give an interesting variety of mats and rugs. It is available in different sizes, ranging from a tea coaster to doormats, table mats, yoga mats to the rugs that could cover the whole flooring. Its color ranges from monochrome to a set of natural hues. It is highly customizable to choose size, finish and colors to suit the end-user. Coir mats at house entrance can be useful in monsoons too as it helps to absorb water and dust easily. It can also add up as an ornamental feature on walls.
Undoubtedly, rugs themselves enhance the beauty of your house, but the choosing right rug area trend is like a feather in your cap. For such amazing ideas, go through our blog 5 Area Rug Trends to Consider When Redoing Your Living Room! It will help your living room be updated with a trending interior design.
03. Use of Coconut Coir for Gardening
01. Coir Geotextiles for Gardening/Farming
A permeable fabric produced by weaving coconut fibres is used in coir geotextiles. It is available as non-woven, hand-woven, closely knitted fabric and loosely knit ones. Every type of fabric has its unique use. Handwoven and loosely knitted are to spread over the land, requiring quick vegetation growth and land surface protection. Closely knitted helps in seed germination, water retention and providing shade. It has proven to be very helpful in terrace farming for water retention.
02. Coir Pithor Coir Peat
Cocopeat is a byproduct of the defibering process of coir. It has high moisture retention and helps to improve soil texture. Coir pith can be used for soilless horticulture practices. It is used as organic material in potting mix. It’s the best use of coconut coir for gardening.
03. Coir Garden Articles
Base materials of commonly used garden items like pots, baskets and rods is replaced by coir fibre. Coir garden articles are made from coir fibres fused under hydraulic pressure. It is used to grow plants and can be shifted to ground easily with the pot due to its biodegradable properties. It’s another best use of coconut coir for gardening.
04. Use of Coir in Other Relevant Domain
01. Coir Geotextiles for Control Soil Erosion
Coconut coir has other uses beyond gardening. Coir geotextiles are helpful to control soil erosion on tunnels, rivers or sea. It is used while road construction. It is also used as roofing fabric.
02. Coir Brushes or Coir Brooms
Coconut fibres are attached to a handle to create an object like coir brushes which is used for cleaning purposes. Broomsticks are also available in coconut fibre. It is available in different shapes and sizes to clean different surfaces.
From above, we can infer that coir-based products are available for almost all aspects of architecture and it also has a notable application in other allied industries like road construction, animal husbandry, horticulture, agriculture, etc. These materials can be explored by architects and relevant fraternities’ as well individual users themselves. This gives an immense opportunity for a lot of businesses to develop and prosper. Few schemes are facilitated by GOI which can be found from coir services India.
On the final note, coir products are available at a low cost, making it possible for almost everyone to access it. It can be purchased from any local nearby store or nursery or an online portal of your choice. Ease of availability, low cost and being extremely eco-friendly makes it an easy green replacement for conventionally used products.
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