What plant is sisal made from? Plum in detail
Many needlewomen who are interested in new types of materials could often hear about such a natural fiber as sisal. What this material actually represents, few people know. Where does it come from, what can be made from it?
In fact, sisal is a completely natural plant fiber. It is produced in Mexico and Latin America. Its properties have been liked by people since ancient times. For the first time, sisal products came to Europe only in the 16th century. Sea ships from America arrived in Spain, carrying unusually strong ropes.
People did not yet know what sisal was, but even then they understood its value. Since then, of course, natural fiber has been actively replaced by synthetic counterparts, but the production of sisal in the world is still quite developed. The first world producer of this raw material is Brazil. Tanzania, Mexico and Colombia are not far behind.
In the article, we will consider in detail what sisal is, what plant it is produced from, how it happens, what can be done from this material, how to work with it in our time.
plant secret
Sisal is obtained from the long narrow leaves of a plant belonging to the genus Agave, or rather its name sounds like this: Agava sisolana. Now more and more often the name is simplified and the plant is also called sisal. Good full-fledged agave bushes grow from 5 to 7 years. It is during this period that the size of the leaves reaches two meters. A thorn grows at the very tip of a sharp leaf. The leaves are dense, like swords. One rosette of agave can contain up to 250 leaves of different lengths.
Interesting fact! In the last year of its 10-year existence, a long arrow with a flower is thrown out of the leaves in the center of the rosette, sometimes its size reaches 6 meters. After that, the plant gradually withers and dies. This type of agave does not produce seeds, as the plant belongs to hybrids. You already know what sisal is, now let's look at how strong threads are obtained from leaves.
How is fiber mined?
Agave grows in a hot subtropical climate at an average growth temperature of +25°C. The leaves of the man are harvested by cutting them with long machetes near the base of the rosette, then they are beaten off, and the dense part is divided into small pieces. Inside the leaves are incredibly long and strong fibers.
There are regions, for example, some plantations in Tanzania, where all manipulations are still done by hand. In more advanced countries, decortication machines are used for this purpose, which break and crush the leaves. However, long fibers are pulled out by the hands of workers.
Next, the raw fiber is thoroughly washed to separate the remains of the plant and hung to dry on long racks with stretched ropes. Then the fibers are combed out manually with brushes. The pulp of the leaves is also used. It is dried and fertilized. In the photo, sisal is pulled out from inside an agave leaf. It turns out a long bunch of separate strong threads.
Sisal rope properties
From the fibers of the plant, a coarse and rather prickly rope is obtained, since no special processing is used in production. They make it of different thickness - from deck ropes to thin strings.
Manufacturers of ropes and ropes love sisal fiber for the following properties:
- durability;
- extraordinary strength;
- light natural shade of fibers (jute is much darker);
- rigid structure (therefore, stands for cats are often made from sisal ropes so that they sharpen their claws; in pet stores you can touch this material by touch);
- however, its cost is higher than that of the jute analogue of natural ropes.
Why is it used in mattresses
Many have heard about filling good orthopedic mattresses with coconut coir. However, it is sisal that is highly valued. Fibers have better resilience, elasticity. Even with prolonged use of the mattress, the strength of the sisal fibers is maintained.
This material perfectly passes air therefore moisture in a mattress is not late. Sisal itself does not absorb moisture, is constantly dry, has antistatic properties, and thus does not attract dust particles at all. Even a small layer of sisal between the filler materials in mattresses allows all the components to "breathe".
Sisal Rope Crafts
Handmade craftsmen have found a way to use even such prickly ropes as sisal. In addition to the already named cat fun, you can make such small baskets for small things. It is enough to pick up a dense bottom, for example, from corrugated packaging cardboard and, using strong PVA glue, attach the rope in a circle, winding it around the base, for example, a tin can.
The ears are created at the end of the work by bending the fingers of a dense sisal rope. Do not forget to leave the end free lying on the table at the beginning of work. This is a mouse tail. It remains only to attach cardboard eyes and a button nose. Mustaches can be sewn with a needle using black nylon thread.
How sisal is used in needlework
What sisal is made of, you already know. Now let's look at what processed fibers for needlework look like. They are sold in craft stores. They can be purchased in rolls in pressed sheets or in skeins. Finished sheets are expensive, so often craftsmen are engaged in their manufacture. How to do this, read on.
You need to take two glasses or mirrors, the main thing is that the surface of the bases for gluing is smooth and even. Then with a brush we spread PVA on the lower glass in an even layer. Then the sisal threads are laid out in any order. You can make the sheet airy or dense at your discretion. At the end, a second glass is placed. It is desirable to squeeze the two surfaces together with something heavy. You can put a couple of books. After some time, the glasses are removed, and the resulting sheet itself is perfectly separated from the surface.
Sisal crafts
Using rolls of different colors, you can cut out any figures with scissors. For example, such wonderful apples will decorate kitchen furniture. You can cut out the flowers and glue them on the flower pot.
Such durable rolls can be cut and sew voluminous crafts. For example, a princess dress will turn out from a cone, it remains to sew hands and a doll face from fabric. Due to the hardness of the material, the craft will perfectly stand on the shelf in the children's room. A green cone decorated with small details will be a New Year's craft.
And from the threads themselves, you can twist small balls and stick them on the base. Get the original Christmas tree, as in the photo above.
Sisal ball topiary
Recently, topiaries made from a variety of materials have been very popular. The masters did not ignore the beautiful sisal in their work. Small balls are twisted from the fibers by hand. They should not be dense, but airy. All the details are glued alternately onto the foam ball, and the craft is decorated with additional decorative elements. It can be flowers or beads, small artificial apples or pears.
The base of the stem of such a tree is strengthened with a solution of gypsum or alabaster. So that it is not visible, after drying, sisal fibers are laid out on the frozen mixture in random order.
Mats on the floor
Real rope craftsmen can weave baskets, cup holders and a hot kettle. And what durable and strong sisal carpets are obtained.
Such a coating has not only a decorative function, but also perfectly preserves the floor. After all, as described by us earlier, sisal passes air and does not absorb dust. But, of course, the reader already understands that such a thing will cost a lot. But it's worth it, trust me!
The article describes how and where sisal grows, how fiber is produced, what is made of it. You can also try to work with such interesting material.
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Agave sisal (lat. Agave sisalana), or Sisal- one of the plant species of the genus Agave (lat. Agave) of the Asparagus family (lat. Asparagaceae). The plant is widely famous for its tough leaves, from which people make a coarse fiber, known in the world with the name "sisal".
What's in your name
You can read about the semantic meaning of the name of the genus "Agave" in the article "Agave tequila, or Agave blue".As for the specific epithet "sisalana", the plant owes it to a coarse fiber, which is made from the leaves of this species of Agave and is called the word "sisal". At a time when the Spanish conquerors of America brought all kinds of curiosities to Europe, among them were very strong ropes made from the fiber of the leaves of a tropical plant, the name of which the sailors did not bother to find out. Therefore, ropes and ropes were given the name of the port of Sisal, located in Mexico, from where these very durable and important things for sailors were brought. And already from the name of the ropes, the word passed into the name of the plant itself, which is simply called with one word "Sisal", and according to the scientific "Agave sisal" (Agave sisalana).
Description
Sisal agave is a rosette of xiphoid leaves, the length of which varies from one and a half to two meters, like the blue agave. But the sharp thorns located along the edge of the leaves are characteristic only of young leaves, and as they grow, they are lost by the plant.For seven to ten years of life, one sisal Agave gives life to two to two and a half hundred leaves suitable for making fibers. Each leaf contains an average of about one thousand fibers. A special machine crushes and crushes the fresh leaves of the plant, separating the fiber from other components of the leaf. Next, the fiber is washed with water, hung out in the sun to dry, and then brushed. Yellowish, shiny plant fibers are very durable, and woven into ropes are many times stronger, they are not afraid of moisture, and therefore are indispensable for sea ships. The leader in the production of sisal today is Brazil. True, today synthetic fibers become a competitor for sisal.
Agave sisal blooms only once in a lifetime. Its two-meter juicy peduncle looks like a strong tree trunk, on which corymbose inflorescences are located as if on branches. The inflorescences are formed by numerous yellow-green flowers, in which the stamens rise above the flower petals, giving the inflorescences a shaggy, washcloth appearance. After fruiting, the plant dies, like the blue agave and many other plants of our amazingly beautiful planet, on which something living dies every second in order to be reborn again from seeds, born babies or growth buds on the underground parts of plants.
Using Sisal Fibers
For many centuries, the main source of plant fibers in Europe was a plant called "Hemp". Therefore, in honor of Hemp, sisal is sometimes called "sisal hemp".Sisal fiber is traditionally used for weaving ropes, twine and strong ropes. In addition, paper, coarse fabrics, hats, shopping bags, washcloths, brushes are made from fiber; weave carpets; they make targets, for example, for a game called "Darts", as well as shoes.
The long peduncle contains vitamin juice, which people extract for their own needs, including for obtaining citric acid. Bees regale themselves with flower nectar, processing nectar into useful honey.
The savvy Chinese, in order to reduce the numerical growth of their population, are preparing medicines for contraceptive purposes from Agave sisalis. Such are the versatile abilities of an amazing creation of nature.
Sisal fiber is one of the most widely used natural fibers and is very easy to cultivate. It is obtained from the sisal plant, which is officially known as agave sisalana. Each leaf of the plant contains a series of long, straight fibers that can be removed in a process known as decortication. The fibers can be spun into a thread to make cloth, or the pulp can be extracted to make paper products.
Sisal fiber: what is it?
Sisal fibers are completely biodegradable, made from soy protein mixed with gelatin. Sisal fiber, modified soy protein resins and composites are characterized by high resistance to mechanical and thermal stress. It is a highly renewable energy resource.
The texture of sisal easily absorbs dyes, offering the largest selection of dyed colors of any natural fiber. Zero pesticides or chemical fertilizers are used in agriculture when growing sisal.
Sisal fiber properties
- Sisal fiber is durable, it does not require special care, it is wear-resistant and reliable;
- Sisal fibers are anti-static, they do not attract or absorb dust particles;
- The fibers do not absorb moisture;
- The texture is easy to paint because it absorbs paint well;
- The fibers have a good level of sound absorption and impact resistance.
Chemical composition of sisal fibers:
- Cellulose - 65%,
- Hemicellulose - 12%,
- Lignin - 9.9%,
- Waxes - 2%
Benefits / Applications of Sisal Fibers
Since ancient times, sisal has been the leading material for agricultural twine due to its strength, durability, stretchability, and resistance to salt water deterioration.
Sisal is often used in shipping for mooring small boats, securing and moving cargo.
Sisal comes from Mexico. This is a type of Agave, it gives hard dense fibers that are used in the manufacture of various products. Sisal is now produced in China, Brazil, Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar.
Sisal is a perennial plant that usually lives 7 to 10 years. Sisal grows in tropical and subtropical climates and prefers temperatures above 25 degrees. The plant consists of a rosette with xiphoid leaves. Leaves reach from one and a half to two meters in length. Each leaf ends with a sharp thorn. During the life of one plant produces from 200 to 250 leaves. By the end of life, after a period of 7 to 10 years, the plant throws out a central flowering stem up to 6 meters high. After flowering, the plant dies. Sisal does not produce any fruits for propagation - it is a hybrid.
First cut the sisal leaves with a very sharp knife. Then remove all the spines from the leaves. The leaves are processed on a special machine that separates the sisal fibers from the soft part. The fibers are washed in water to remove the remnants of the soft part of the sisal. These residues can be used later as fertilizer. Sisal fibers are then sent for drying. After the fibers have dried, they are sorted, cleaned, processed and packaged for further use in the manufacture of various products.
Sisal fiber is one of the most widely used natural fibers, and sisal is not expensive to produce. Therefore, it is used in many industrial areas. Sisal fibers are used to make thread for rope and textile production or are ground to make paper products.
Sisal fiber is completely biodegradable. It is a very durable material with low maintenance and minimal wear. Sisal is not used in the production of fabrics, as its fiber is too hard.
Sisal is easy to dye, so it has a huge range of colors - the largest of all natural fibers.
Sisal fiber is used in the manufacture of ropes, targets, fishing nets, in the production of washcloths, bags, carpets. Sometimes sisal is used in the automotive industry. The composition of sisal fibers includes cellulose (about 65%), hemicellulose (12%), lignin (about 10%), wax (2%).
Sisal fiber properties.
- Sisal fiber is a very durable material with low maintenance and minimal wear.
- Low price and availability.
- Sisal fibers are antistatic, practically do not attract dust particles, practically do not absorb moisture.
- The fine texture is easy to color.
- It has good sound absorbing properties.
- Stretching ability.
Application of sisal.
Since ancient times, sisal has been used for the production of ropes, as it is a very strong, durable and stretchable material. Sisal practically does not break down in salt water, so it is used in the production of fishing nets and ropes.
- Used in the shipping industry for mooring small boats and various anchorages.
- Often used as the core fiber of elevator steel cable.
- In agriculture, as a packaging material (ropes, twine).
- In the automotive industry
- For the manufacture of belts, rugs, bath accessories, slippers, napkins
- For the production of goods for animals (bedding, scratch pads, straps)
- Used in carpets as an independent material, and together with wool for softness.
- In the production of packaging for flowers (nets, ribbons, boxes)
- For floral decor.
- As a material for various types of needlework.
Sisal- a very popular material among needlewomen, as it is very inexpensive, it is easy to attach, it looks very nice in the finished product, its use is very wide. It is used to make bases for paintings and panels, topiaries, packing boxes, various souvenirs, and also decorate various types of decorations with sisal. Sisal is widely used in the manufacture of dolls and toys. A large selection of colors allows you to create unusual handmade masterpieces without any special cash costs.
In our store there is always a large selection of sisal in different colors for floral design and creativity. For more information on what can be made from colored sisal fibers, see my article "Sisal Crafts".
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