Pina fiber is obtained from the leaves of pineapple plants. It is made through a labor intensive process of cutting leaves, separating fibers, and hand scraping and knotting them. Pina fiber is lustrous and durable with physical and chemical properties that make it resistant to wear and require no harsh chemicals for care. While pina fabric was once globally in demand, cheaper cotton replaced it until recent revival efforts that have restored its status as a symbol of Philippine culture and elite fashion. Pina weaving survives as an important cultural heritage craft.
4. Fiber
Pina fiber
History of pina fiber
Classification
Physical properties
Chemical properties
Chemical constituents
Difference between pina & other natural fiber
Cultivation method
Advantage of pina fiber
How to take care of pina fiber
Various uses
Why pina is so expensive
Past,present & future of pina fiber
5. What is fiber?
The material,
which consists fibrous
structure and length
is thousand times
higher than its width
is called FIBER.
7. Man has always been innovative.
When talking of textile fibers, man
has made natural fibers many
plants. One of such inventions is
Piña, a textile fiber obtained from
pineapple leaves for making fabric.
8. What is pina fiber?
Piña is a fiber made from the leaves of a
pineapple plant and is commonly used in
the Philippines. It is sometimes
combined with silk or polyester to create
a textile fabric. Piña's name comes from
the Spanish word piña which literally
means Pineapple. piña fabric is hand
loomed by only a few weavers, it is very
precious and scarce, which also makes it
expensive.
9. Kalibo, Aklan is the main and the oldest manufacturer/weaver of piña
cloth in the Philippines which are being exported to various parts of the
world most particularly North America, and Europe. History records
suggest that Kalibo's piña cloth was traded during the Pre-Hispanic
times and reached as far as Greece and Egypt during its heyday, although
the pineapple plant was brought to the Philippines by the Spaniards from
the Americas. Kalibo is also known for other native products such as
handbags made of buri leaves which is a favorite for tourists visiting the
town. Pineapple silk is considered the queen of Philippine fabrics and is
considered the fabric of choice of the Philippine elite. During the 1996
meeting of APEC in the Philippines, world leaders donned a pineapple silk
Barong Tagalog from Kalibo during the traditional group photo.
10. Classification of pineapple
Kingdom Plante
(Unranked) Angiosperms
(Unranked) Monocots
(Unranked) Commelinids
Order Poales
Family Bromelioideae
Subfamily Bromelioideae
Genus Ananas
Species A.comosus
11. 1.Since piña is from a
leaf, the leaf has to be cut
first from the plant.
2.Then the fiber is
pulled or split away from
the leaf.
12. 3.Most leaf fibers are long and
somewhat stiff. Each strand of
the piña fiber is hand scraped
and is knotted one by one to
form a continuous filament to
be handwoven.
4.piña is intensive, as each
step is done mostly by hand.
13. Physical Properties of pina fiber
Length(mm) 3-9
Breadth(10-3 mm) 4-8
L/B ratio 450
Gravimetric Fineness(tex) 1.54
Tenacity(gm/tex) 50
Extension at break(%) 2-6
Flextural rigidity(dyne cm-2) 3.8
Density (Gm/cc) 1.48
Moisture Regain at 65%
Pineapple leaf fiber is multi-
cellular with an average ultimate
cell length of 5 mm. The fiber
is lignocelluloses in nature.
15. Chemical constituents
Various pineapple fibre
constituents viz. α-
cellulose, pentosans,
lignin, fat and wax,
ashcontent, nitrogenous
matter, pectin ,degree of
polymerization and
crystallinity of α-cellulose
determined with standard
methods.
16. Difference between pina & other
natural fiber(Physical and Chemical Properties)
Physical
Properties
Pineapple leaf
fiber
jute cotton
Length(mm) 3-9 0.8-6.0 15-60
Breadth(10-3 mm) 4-8 5-25 15-20
L/B ratio 450 110 1300
Gravimetric
Fineness(tex)
1.54 1.25-5.0 0.10-0.30
Tenacity(gm/tex) 50 35-50 20-45
Extension at
break(%)
2-6 1.0-2.5 6.5-7.5
Chemical
properties
Alpha-Cellulose 70 60.5 92.89
Lignin 4.5 13.3 0.54
17. The fabric has a natural gloss similar to silk, and
is better in quality. This gloss protects the fibers
and as a result, piña does not require any t0
treatment with toxic chemicals.
It is easy to wash and care for; no dry cleaning
required!
Piña cloth is wear-resistant
It is an ideal eco-textile for clothing
Pina fiber Long, fine, lustrous.
18. 1.Dissolve a small amount of mild
detergent in warm water.
2.Soak to free dirt and stains,then
gently hand wash.If the fabric has
yellowed,add vinegar to the water
and soak overnight.
3.Use a soft toothbrush to scrub
off stubborn dirt.
4.Rinse in an up/down dipping
motion.Do not twist or wring.
5.Hang (on plastic hanger) and
shape to drip dry or lay flat to dry.
How to take care of Pina Fabric?
19. piña fabric is converted into valuable items such
as Barong Tagalog, kimona, panuelo, vestments,
table linen, pillow cases, gowns, shawls, fans and
other items.
Barong Tagalog kimona vestments Table linen
20.
21. Past , Present & Future Prospective
of Pina Fiber……
During the 19th century , pina fabric
was in demand worldwide.
However , production ceased and
all but disappeared when cheaper
cotton fabrics took over . By the
mid eighties , pina fiber was nearly
impossible to find , with only a
handful of aging ,part time weavers.
Re-establishing the pina trade has been very difficult.
22. Past,Present & Future Prospective of
Pina Fiber….
It began with marketing the pina barong
(embroidered traditional formal garment)
locally which eventually influenced the
elite.This campaign elevated pina fabric to
become a symbol of status.
23. Past,Present & Future
Prospective of Pina Fiber
Domestic support also marked the
beginning of a foundation dedicated to the
revival of Philippine arts , crafts and
culture.
Fortunately , traditional pina weaving has
survived being dangerously close to
disappearing and production has since
begun to flourish . Now , once again , pina
fiber has great prospects for the future.