What are the various types of bamboo fiber?

Various types of bamboo fabrics are produced depending upon the manufacturing process employed:

• Regenerated Bamboo: Also known as bamboo rayon. It is obtained by chemical processing method however there are a lot of negative points associated with its processing the only advantage is that this method has a low manufacturing cost.

• Lyocell: This type of bamboo fabric is produced similar to the regenerated bamboo fabric but the chemicals involved in this process are less and certain steps are also eliminated. Also, chemicals such as N-methyl morpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) and water are almost recycled, which makes the process economically favorable. Since the process does not alter the chemical structure of bamboo, the properties of lyocell bamboo remain the same as bamboo linen.

• Bamboo Linen: This fabric is produced by mechanical processing and is the only sustainable option for production of pure bamboo fabric but it is an expensive and time-consuming process. It is often observed that bamboo linen loses its softness and wrinkles easily but at the same time, it is strong and durable.

• Blends with cotton: This type of fabric is a blend of cotton and bamboo rayon and is slightly stronger however softness of the material is compromised. The composition of the blend is either 60% bamboo rayon and 40% cotton or 70% bamboo rayon and 30% cotton.