Top ten jute producers — 2008 CountryProduction (Tonnes)Tonnes India Bangladesh People's Republic of China Myanmar Uzbekistan Nepal Vietnam 8800 Thailand 5000 Sudan 3300 Egypt 2200 World

 Jute is the common name given to the fiber extracted from the stems of plants belonging to the genus Corchorus, family Tiliaceae.  At maturity height is m.  exports of jute fiber currently running at around 500,000 tons/year.  (July 2009-June 2010) fetched million U.S. dollars from exports of raw jute and jute goods.  jute is bast fiber grown in India and Bangladesh.  Cultivation is dependent on the climate, season, and soil.

Jute stems are harvested by hands shortly after flowering. For retting stems are cut, tied into bundles and then left to lie in the field. Occasionally leaves are stripped and stalks are placed in the retting basins such as rivers and ponds. Stems are kept submerged 4-6 inches below the water surface with the help of suitable weight. retting is carried for days depending upon the region, water temperature and maturity of stem. After retting fibres are separated from bast by stripping with hands. Sometimes beaten by hammer to loosen the connections between the fibre bundles. The strands are then cleaned with water and rubbing with fingers. They are dried and care is taken to avoid these from exposure to sunlight.

After retting fibres are separated from bast by stripping with hands. Sometimes beaten by hammer to loosen the connections between the fibre bundles. the strands are then cleaned with water. After drying they are compressed in bales and send to mills for spinning. Small amount of mineral oil is used ( 1-5%).

 Retted fibers jute have three principal chemical constituents, namely a-cellulose 58-63%, hemicelluloses 21-24%, and (large percentage of gum ) lignin 12-14% and small amounts of water, ash, wax and fats.  The cells are some 200 times longer than they are broad, and in common called ultimate cells.

 Jute is composed of modified form of cellulose called ligno-cellulose.

1. In cross section the cell is polygonal, thick walls, broad irregular lumen. Jute fibers develop in the phloem, or bast, region of the stem of the plants. 2. They appear as wedge-shaped bundles of cells intermingled with parenchyma cells and other soft tissue 3. a-Cellulose forms the bulk of the ultimate cell walls, with the molecular chains lying broadly parallel to the direction of the fiber axis. 4. The hemicellulose and lignin, however, are located mainly in the area between neighboring cells, where they form the cementing material of the middle lamella, providing strong lateral adhesion between the ultimates.

1.Grading system first separates C. capsularis and C. olitorius into white and tossa categories, respectively. 2.further classifies each into five grades denoted by the letters A to E. 3. The highest prices are paid for Grade A It depends upon color, luster, strength, cleanliness, and freedom from retting defects

 Tenacity and elongation: Jute have high tenacity, 70g/tex, however elongation is low. Elongation at break about 1.7%.  Hygroscopic nature: Jute is highly hygroscopic due to large amorphous to crystalline ration.  Chemical properties: Jute is more sensitive to the action of chemicals compared with cotton and linen. Therefore it can’t be treated with sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, lime water makes it brittle, ammonia gives it a harsh feel. Specific Gravity : It is 1.5 Micro Organisms: More resistant to rot than either grey cotton or flax. If lightly scoured it can have excellent resistance owing to lignin effect.

Thermal behavior : Jute is good insulator of heat, it offers great resistance to heat transfer. Fastness To Light: Affecting the performance of dyed or bleached jute is the change in color that occurs when jute fiber is exposed to sunlight. Jute can be dyed with a wide range of dyestuffs. Jute has a strong affinity for both acid dyes and basic dyes which normally have little or no dyeing capacity for cotton or rayon. Texture: Jute feels coarse and tough and best qualities ar smooth and soft. Moisture Effects: 1. at 65% RH and 20°C, the equilibrium M.R is about 13.75% % for resorption of wet fiber.

 sacking, carpet backing, cordage, and textiles.