Georgia’s Research Questions Bamboo Fiber

Wn recent years, bamboo fabrics have gained in popularity in the outdoor and apparel markets as an eco-friendly substitute for synthetic fibers, as well as cotton. Dr. Ian Hardin, along with his team at the University of Georgia, has conducted extensive research on bamboo, and compares its production to that of rayon and states that many manufactures selling bamboo products have made false and misleading claims regarding bamboo’s sustainability and its inherent properties.

“The ‘bamboo’ fabrics that are currently being marketed as environmentally friendly by a majority of manufacturers are not even close to being sustainable,” says Dr. Hardin. “The rayon process used in ‘bamboo’ fiber production is an inherently very dirty and highly chemical intensive process, which requires extensive and rigorous cleanup. And, these fibers are coming mainly from China, where environmental clean-up at the factories is rare. This ‘bamboo’ is probably the least environmentally friendly choice a consumer could make!”

According to Hardin, rayon is a manufactured fiber that contains cellulose found in plants and trees. The pulp is processed, using harsh chemicals that release hazardous pollutants into the water and air. Since the pulp from any plant or tree, including bamboo, can be used as the cellulose source for rayon production, the resulting fiber that is created is still rayon and should be labeled as such.

Dr. Hardin’s team conducted their testing on seven bamboo sample fabrics that were purchased over the Internet from a variety of sources. The bamboo fibers were extracted from each of the seven samples, and cross-sections were prepared and examined by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The cross-sections were then compared to those of rayon. The sample fibers were also tested for antimicrobial activity using AATCC Test Method 147.

During the investigation, the team discovered that the majority of the tested fabrics contained bamboo fiber that was produced in China by the China Bambro Textile Company. Hardin explained that this company made false claims, sometimes attributing the fabric’s performance and sustainable qualities to those of bamboo, when the fabric was actually rayon.

Hardin explained, “Each of the manufacturers claimed that the bamboo fabrics used in its products had antimicrobial properties, the ability to evaporate sweat quickly, never sticking to the skin in hot weather, ultraviolet radiation protection, and production in a green process without any pollution. Typically, their advertisements insisted that bamboo was the most environmentally-friendly fiber available.”

As a result of the work done by the University of Georgia, the marketing of bamboo has already begun to change. On August 11, 2009, in a press release entitled, “FTC Charges Companies with ‘Bamboo-zling’ Consumers with False Product Claims,” the FTC announced these deceptive environmental claims. The agency’s intension is to make sure that consumers are protected from all deceptive claims in the labeling and advertising of bamboo textile products.

Hardin noted, “I now see labels reading ‘rayon from bamboo,’ but I still see claims being made regarding antimicrobial properties, and that is bogus! While anyone can import these fibers, companies must label them as rayon. There is a true bamboo fiber that can be produced directly from the plant (as opposed to the pulping process used for rayon), but it is stiff and would not have the comfort properties you would want unless you treated it extensively, either mechanically or chemically, to soften it up, similar to that of jute and ramie.”

For more information on the testing of bamboo as a performance fiber, contact Ian Hardin, the University of Georgia, 706-542-0357, ihardin@fcs.uga.edu.


Kathlyn Swantko, president of the FabricLink Network, created TheTechnicalCenter.com for Industry networking and marketing of specialty textiles, and FabricLink.com for consumer education about everything fabric. kgswantko@fabriclink.com, 818-345-7501.

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