Ramie (nettle fibre)
Also known as: China grass, Chinese nettle
Very strong bast fibre from the Chinese nettle Boehmeria nivea — linen-like with a silky sheen.
Description
Ramie comes from Boehmeria nivea, a nettle from East and Southeast Asia that has been cultivated for its fibre for around 3,000 years. Its common names are China grass and Chinese nettle. The fibres sit in the bark and are freed by retting and degumming.
Ramie is one of the strongest natural fibres known: its tensile strength reaches 393–1050 MPa and is even higher when wet. The hand is smooth and linen-like, with a subtle silky sheen. About 75 % of world production comes from China, with further growing areas in the Philippines, India and Brazil. The complex extraction process has so far prevented large-scale industrial use — ramie is found mainly in summer shirts, blouses, table linens and as a blend with cotton.
- Extremely tear-resistant and dimensionally stable, but wrinkles like linen
- Absorbs and releases moisture quickly
- Complex processing — not fully automated
- Often blended with cotton or linen
Properties
| Fibre type | Natural fibre (plant-based, bast fibre) |
|---|---|
| Origin | China (75 %), Philippines, India, Brazil |
| Application | Summer shirts, blouses, table linen, cotton blends |
| Care | Wash up to 40 °C, iron damp |
Related product categories
Sources & references
1- Wikipedia: Ramie Wikipedia — Freie Enzyklopädie https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramie
