What is kapok fiber?

Java cotton, ceiba, or Java kapok are some of the names for the kapok fiber and are extracted from the seed hair of the fruit of the kapok tree.
Kapok is a bast fiber obtained from the seed of the kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra) which belongs to the family of Bombacaceae. Kapok fiber is known as the soft gold in plants for its finest and lightest quality, highest hollowness, and most warm nature. Kapok trees grow in the tropical rainforest and have a wide trunk of about 3 meters and have distinctive spikes on the surface.

Kapok fibers are fluffy, lightweight and have a presence of waxy surface that imparts water-resistant properties. Another striking feature of kapok is the hollow lumen that contributes to thermal insulation and it is this property that largely employs kapok in the industrial textile sector.