Milkweed fiber
20.12.2024
Milkweed fiber
|
For Prelims: About Milkweed fiber, Applications of the Milkweed fiber |
Why in the news?
The Union Ministry of Textiles is encouraging by extending its research and development efforts into new natural fibers, including milkweed fiber.
About Milkweed fiber:
- It is the seed fiber obtained from milkweed plants.
○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 Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
○Milkweed contains an abundance of milk sap in its leaves, stems and pods.
- Properties of Milkweed fiber: 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.
Applications of the Milkweed 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.
Source: PIB
Consider the following statements regarding Milkweed fiber:
1. It is a seed fiber which contains oily material and lignin.
2. It is used as an insulative filling material and also in water-safety equipment.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A.1 only
B.2 only
C.Both 1 and 2
D.Neither 1 nor 2
Answer C