Wire Rope Direct News

NATURAL FIBRE ROPES

FIBRE ROPES......THE NATURAL KIND

During this editorial we aim to provide some basic knowledge of natural fibre ropes, twines and cordage, where they originate from, how some are harvested and what they may be used for.

COTTON rope is very popular in handicraft work as it can be dyed to a specific colour easily, it is also used for packaging, picture hanging and sash cords on window blinds. Circus artists sometimes use cotton ropes for their trapezes and climbing ropes.

Cotton rope, twine and cord is very soft and easy to handle, it is lightweight and stretchy, but it is not resistant to oil, chemicals and water and therefore unsuitable for some applications.

JUTE rope comes from a vegetable fibre (corchorus olitorius and corchourus capsularis) the fibres are taken out from the stem and outer skin using a process called retting, where bundles are immersed in water and then stripped of the non-fibrous matter, fibres are then pulled from the stem.

Today Jute is used mainly for fabrics, such as sacking and hessian, but it is still used for twine and ropes for stairs, towing, boating and handicrafts. Jute is strong and rough in texture.

SISAL rope is made from fibres from the agave plant, the plants usually have a life-span of 7-10 years, each sisal plant will produce about 200 leaves in its lifetime, from which the fibres are taken, each leaf can produce 1000 fibres. The leaves are crushed and beaten until only the fibres remain which are then dried.

Sisal is tough and durable and has the ability to stretch, it is also resistant to salt water. Sisal twine is commonly used for handicrafts, and the rope is often used for architectural purposes, and decking rope, Sisal however will not last as long as manila, but is lighter in colour.

MANILA rope is the most widely used natural rope, the fibres come from the manila hemp plant, known as abaca, it is related to the banana plant (not true hemp) but the fruit is inedible.

The long fibres from overlapping leaves are removed when the plant is mature and cut down. Manila fibres are strong and durable and the finer fibres are used for fabrics and paper products whilst the stronger, thicker ones are used for twines and ropes.

Manila is resistant to salt and sunlight making it popular in the marine industry, it is also commonly used for decking ropes, stair ropes, in construction and agriculture.

When using natural ropes, remember that because they are a natural product they will shrink when wet and tighten when dry, shrinkage is about 8-105 so this should be taken into account when buying, and it is advisable to pre shrink the natural rope in water overnight before use.

Natural ropes come in many different thicknesses from 2mm twine to 40mm ropes, and can usually be found on reels with lengths of up to 220 metres long for the larger ropes, so there should be something available to suit your needs.

More News Articles

ANCHORING ROPEAnchoring ropes are used most obviously for anchoring or securing boats/ships.The anchor rope is actu...

HALYARD AND SHEET ROPEHalyard & sheet rope is used for raising or lowering sails/ flags, or yards, and form par...

STEEL WIRE ROPE LUBRICANTS.The lubricants used during the manufacture of steel wire ropes present minimal hazards to...

CRANE ROPE part 3Here we talk about resistance to wear and abrasion, corrosion resistance and lubrication of wire ...

CRANE ROPE part 2Today we will look at bend fatigue resistance, and rotation resistance, which are important aspect...

CRANE ROPE / wire ropeOver the coming weeks we will be discussing some important facts to consider when replacing a c...

DECKING ROPE / BARRIER ROPEHere at wire rope direct, not only do we supply wire ropes and their fittings but also ...

Plastic Impregnated RopePlastic impregnated rope or PIR, is often used on mobile cranes, coal and ore un-loaders and ...

FIBRE ROPES........THE MAN-MADE KINDDuring this news and information page we will look at nylon, polyester and polypropy...

FIBRE ROPES......THE NATURAL KINDDuring this editorial we aim to provide some basic knowledge of natural fibre ropes, tw...

HANDLING WIRE ROPES SAFELYThis editorial discusses briefly how wire ropes should be handled and stored safely, and there...

WIRE ROPE ACCESSORIES AND END FITTINGS part 2Continuing from last week will be information on our wire rope accesso...

WIRE ROPE ACCESSORIES / END FITTINGS part 1Please find below some details of our most commonly requested accessories...

TYPES OF WIRE ROPE END TERMINATIONS continued....WIRE ROPE CLAMPS / CLIPS (also known as Crosby clips or dog clamps...

TYPES OF WIRE ROPE END TERMINATIONS We can supply many different types of wire rope end fittings (see our wire rope accesso...

HOW TO CALCULATE WIRE ROPE LOADSThere Are different types of loads to consider, static loads, dynamic loads, bending lo...

ELASTIC STRETCH IN WIRE ROPESContinuing from wire rope constructional stretch last week please find some details on...

STRETCH IN WIRE ROPESIt is important to note the stretch in wire rope, 2 types of stretch occur,Constructional (or perma...

MAN-MADE FIBRE ROPES, MAINTENANCE, CARE ETC. Part 2Here we continue with the information on using man-made fibre ropes....

MAN-MADE FIBRE ROPES, HANDLING, CARE AND MAINTENANCE. PART 1DO\'S & DON\'TS , the essentials:Never drag fibre r...