Textile Palm Fibers from Amazon Biome

Abstract

There are several species of Amazon palm trees from which can be obtained: food and oils (fruits and seeds), medicinal products, construction material (logs and leaves), handicraft, textiles, etc. Taking in account textile fibers, three palm origins stand out: tucum (Astrocaryum chambira Burret), buriti (Mauritia flexuosa Mart.) and tururi (Manicaria saccifera Gaertn.). Tucum fibers, obtained from grown leaves, are used in the manufacture of fabrics, handicrafts, nets, yarns and fishing nets. Buriti presents multiple uses, especially for handicraft products. A soft fiber ("linen") and another harder and rougher ("draff") are removed from the young leaves of the buriti palm, both being used. Tururi is the sac that wraps the fruits of the Ubuçu palm tree. The material is constantly used by the Amazonian riverside population and by artisans for handicrafts, fashion items and other products for tourism. In a joint project of the North Carolina State University (USA) and University of São Paulo (Brazil), multilayer composite materials were developed and characterized in 3D structure with quite promising results in terms of resistance and aesthetic finish similar to wood. Thus, the traditional and innovative uses of native vegetable fibers are ways of valuing the regional product and preserving their respective ecosystems. Introduction The Amazon biome comprises an area of 410 million hectares and is formed by three types of forests: dry land, wet land and flooded area. It encompasses extensive areas of “cerrados” (kind of savannas) and meadows. The Amazon biome develops around the Amazon basin and is present in eight countries of South America [1]. There are several species of palm trees from the Amazon biome, from which can be obtained: food or oils (fruits and seeds), biodiesel, medicinal and cosmetic uses, construction material (logs and leaves), handicraft material, including fibers for textile purposes, etc. Some examples are [2]: Açai (Euterpe precatoria); Cocao (Attalea tessmanii); Inaja (Attalea maripa); Jaci (Attalea butyraceae); Jarina (Phytelephas macrocarpa); Murmuru (Astrocaryum murumuru); Paxiubao (Iriartea deltoidea); Paxiubinha (Socratea exorrhiza); and Pataua (Oenocarpus bataua). The incentive for the employment of native vegetable fibers as an alternative textile material can increase local productivity and improving the income of the populations. Another point is that there is enormous creative potential. Aiming By-Products of Palm Trees and Their Applications Materials Research Forum LLC Materials Research Proceedings 11 (2019) 262-274 doi: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644900178-22 263 at technology, there is growing international interest in the use of these vegetable fibers, especially as non-conventional materials for the manufacture of composites instead of those made with wood or synthetic materials [3]. Taking in account the obtainment of textile fibers, three palm origins stand out: tucum buriti and tururi. A briefing enrolling the obtention of fibers, processing and manufacture of final products in shown in Figure 1. Figure 1. Tucum: (a) Obtention from grown palm leaves [4]; (b) Processing of obtained fibers [4]; (c) Macrame fabric [4] [5]. Buriti: (d) Obtention of “linen” and “draff” fibers from the young leaves [1] [6] [7] [8]; (e) Dyeing of fibers [1] [6] [7] [8]; (f) Working in manual looms [1] [6] [7] [8]. Tururi: (g) Sac covering the fruits in the palm and after collection [9] [10]; (h) Drying of tururi mats after dyeing [9] [10]; (g) Mat, bags and composite made from tururi [9] [10] [11]. In the present study the main physical-chemical characteristics of these palm fibrous material were compared and for tururi also the characteristics of composite structures were presented. Material and methods The fibers were taken respectively from: (i) Grown leaves of tucum palm trees (Astrocaryum chambira Burret), in the Community Ecological Village of Jurua, municipality of Ipixuna, Amazonas State, Brazil, GPS 07°03′04′′S and 71°41′43′′W; (ii) Yong leaves of buriti palm trees (Mauritia flexuosa Mart.), located in Marcelino Village, situated on the bank of “Preguiça” river, Barreirinhas city, Maranhao State, Brazil, GPS 02°45'18,8101"S and 42°49'04,2782"W; (iii) Sacs of tururi (Manicaria saccifera Gaertn), in the cities of Sao Sebastiao da Boa Vista and Muana, Para State, Brazil, central GPS positions respectively S -1°23 '53.4156"W 49°38'14.9928" and S-1°20'40.3506 "W-49°17'45.3948". All locations are in comprised in Brazilian Amazon Forest biome and in all cases, the prospection radius was 5,000 m. It should (a) (b) (c)