Coconut Fibres (Cocod nucifera)

Have you ever seen an old armchair with seams that have come loose to reveal the rough, fibrous brown hair construction inside? If this sounds familiar, then either rubberized hair or coconut coir may have been the material used inside. Coconut, like bamboo, is becoming one of the beacons for the ‘green’ materials movement. Unlike bamboo and other plant-based materials, which are derived from the tree or trunk, it is not the palm tree itself but the fruit that is driving the area of greatest innovation. It’s easy to see why; if you break open a fresh coconut you will see how well protected this seed is by the various layers that surround it, from the tough skin to the matted layer of coir that acts as a primitive ...

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