Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Ramie shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Ramie offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Ramie at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Ramie? Wrong! If the Ramie is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Ramie then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Ramie? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Ramie and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Ramie wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Ramie then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Ramie site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Ramie, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Ramie, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
{{Taxobox| color = lightgreen| name = Ramie| image = Boehmeria nivea 1.jpg| image_width = 240px| regnum = Plantae]| classis = dicotyledon| ordo = Urticales| genus =
[Boehmeria]) Charles Gaudichaud-Beaupré-->
Ramie (
Boehmeria nivea) is a
flowering plant in the
nettle family Urticaceae, native to eastern Asia. It is a
herbaceous perennial plant growing to 1 - 2.5 m tall; Ramie: Old Fiber - New Image the
leaf are heart-shaped, 7-15 cm long and 6-12 cm broad, and white on the underside with dense small hairs - this gives it a silvery appearance; unlike nettles, the hairs do not sting. The true ramie or
China Grass also called
Chinese plant or
white ramie is the Chinese cultivated plant. A second type, is known as
green ramie or
rhea and is believed to have originated in the Malay Peninsula. This type has smaller leaves which are green on the underside and it appears to be better suited to tropical conditions.
Cultivation
Ramie is one of the oldest fibre crops, having been used for at least six thousand years, and is principally used for fabric production. It is a bast (biology) fibre, and the part used is the bark (
phloem) of the vegetative stalks. Ramie is normally harvested two to three times a year but under good growing conditions can be harvested up to six times per year. Swicofil Unlike other bast crops, ramie requires chemical processing to de-gum the fibre.
Harvesting is done just before or soon after the beginning of flowering. It is done at this time because at this stage there is a decline in plant growth and the maximum fiber content is achieved. Stems are harvested by either cutting just above the lateral roots or else bending the stem. This will enable the core to be broken and the Cortex (botany) can be stripped from the plant in situ.
After harvesting, stems are decorticated while the plants are fresh. If this is not done while the plants are still fresh the plants will dry out and the bark will be hard to remove. The bark ribbon is then dried as quickly as possible. This will prevent
bacteria and fungi from attacking it.
The dry weight of harvested stem from crops ranges from 3.4 to 4.5 t/ha/year, so a 4.5 ton crop yields 1,600 kg/ha/year of dry non-de-gummed fiber. The weight loss during de-gumming can be up to 25% giving a yield of de-gummed fiber of about 1,200 kg/ha/year.
The extraction of the fiber occurs in three stages. First the cortex or bark is removed; this can be done by hand or by machine. This process is called de-cortication. Second the cortex is scraped to remove most of the outer bark, the
parenchyma in the bast layer and some of the gums and pectins. Finally the residual cortex material is washed, dried, and de-gummed to extract the spinnable
fiber.
History
Ramie has been around for so long that it was even used in mummy cloths in
Egypt during the period 5000-3300 BC and has been grown in China for many centuries. In the study of the "Lazarus" mummy, three types of textiles were found. The outermost cloth was heavy and coarsely woven; the innermost was the lightest and most tightly woven. The outer cloth appeared to be ramie (which Wiseman notes "contains non-fibrous material that is toxic to bacteria and fungi"-- in other words, an ideal textile for mummymaking).
Brazil began production in the late 1930s with production peaking in 1971. Since then, production has steadily declined as a result of competition with alternative crops, such as soybeans and the important synthetic fibres.They used it in Ancient China for the farmers clothes.
Properties
Ramie is one of the strongest natural fibers. It exhibits even greater strength when wet. Ramie fiber is known especially for its ability to hold shape, reduce wrinkling, and introduce a
silky lustre to the fabric appearance. It is not as durable as other fibers, and so is usually used as a blend with other fibers such as cotton or wool. It is similar to flax in absorbency, density and microscopic appearance. However it will not dye as well as
cotton. Because of its high molecular crystallinity, ramie is stiff and brittle and will break if folded repeatedly in the same place; it lacks resiliency and is low in elasticity and elongation potential.Kadolph SJ, Langford AL. Textiles (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall; 2001. ISBN 0-13-025443-6
Uses
Despite its strength, ramie has had limited acceptance for textile use. The fiber's extraction and cleaning are expensive, chiefly because of the several steps—involving scraping, pounding, heating, washing, or exposure to chemicals. Some or all are needed to separate the raw fiber from the adhesive gums or resins in which it is ensheathed. Spinning the fiber is made difficult by its brittle quality and low elasticity; and weaving is complicated by the hairy surface of the yarn, resulting from lack of cohesion between the fibers. The greater utilization of ramie depends upon the development of improved processing methods.
Ramie is used to make such products as industrial sewing thread, packing materials, fishing nets, and filter cloths. It is also made into fabrics for household furnishings (upholstery, canvas) and clothing, frequently in blends with other textile fibers (for instance when used in admixture with
wool, shrinkage is reported to be greatly reduced when compared with pure wool.) Shorter fibres and waste are used in paper manufacture.
Ramie is also used as an
ornamental plant in eastern Asia.
Producers
China leads in the production of ramie and exports mainly to Japan and
Europe. Other producers include Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Brazil. Britannica Online Only a small percentage of the ramie produced is available on the international market. Japan,
Germany,
France and the
UK are the main importers, the remaining supply is used domestically.
Sources
External links
- Nikon MicroscopyU: Phase Contrasts Microscopy
- LoveToKnow Article on Ramie
- Nebraska Extension Office factsheet
- Australian New Crops Newsletter article
{{Taxobox| color = lightgreen| name = Ramie| image = Boehmeria nivea 1.jpg| image_width = 240px| regnum =
Plantae]| classis =
dicotyledon| ordo =
Urticales| genus = [Boehmeria])
Charles Gaudichaud-Beaupré-->
Ramie (
Boehmeria nivea) is a
flowering plant in the
nettle family
Urticaceae, native to eastern Asia. It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 1 - 2.5 m tall; Ramie: Old Fiber - New Image the leaf are heart-shaped, 7-15 cm long and 6-12 cm broad, and white on the underside with dense small hairs - this gives it a silvery appearance; unlike nettles, the hairs do not sting. The true ramie or
China Grass also called
Chinese plant or
white ramie is the Chinese cultivated plant. A second type, is known as
green ramie or
rhea and is believed to have originated in the Malay Peninsula. This type has smaller leaves which are green on the underside and it appears to be better suited to tropical conditions.
Cultivation
Ramie is one of the oldest fibre crops, having been used for at least six thousand years, and is principally used for fabric production. It is a
bast (biology) fibre, and the part used is the bark (phloem) of the vegetative stalks. Ramie is normally harvested two to three times a year but under good growing conditions can be harvested up to six times per year. Swicofil Unlike other bast crops, ramie requires chemical processing to de-gum the fibre.
Harvesting is done just before or soon after the beginning of flowering. It is done at this time because at this stage there is a decline in plant growth and the maximum fiber content is achieved. Stems are harvested by either cutting just above the lateral roots or else bending the stem. This will enable the core to be broken and the
Cortex (botany) can be stripped from the plant in situ.
After harvesting, stems are decorticated while the plants are fresh. If this is not done while the plants are still fresh the plants will dry out and the bark will be hard to remove. The bark ribbon is then dried as quickly as possible. This will prevent
bacteria and fungi from attacking it.
The dry weight of harvested stem from crops ranges from 3.4 to 4.5 t/ha/year, so a 4.5 ton crop yields 1,600 kg/ha/year of dry non-de-gummed fiber. The weight loss during de-gumming can be up to 25% giving a yield of de-gummed fiber of about 1,200 kg/ha/year.
The extraction of the fiber occurs in three stages. First the cortex or bark is removed; this can be done by hand or by machine. This process is called de-cortication. Second the cortex is scraped to remove most of the outer bark, the parenchyma in the bast layer and some of the gums and pectins. Finally the residual cortex material is washed, dried, and de-gummed to extract the spinnable
fiber.
History
Ramie has been around for so long that it was even used in
mummy cloths in
Egypt during the period 5000-3300 BC and has been grown in China for many centuries. In the study of the "Lazarus" mummy, three types of textiles were found. The outermost cloth was heavy and coarsely woven; the innermost was the lightest and most tightly woven. The outer cloth appeared to be ramie (which Wiseman notes "contains non-fibrous material that is toxic to bacteria and fungi"-- in other words, an ideal textile for mummymaking).
Brazil began production in the late 1930s with production peaking in 1971. Since then, production has steadily declined as a result of competition with alternative crops, such as soybeans and the important synthetic fibres.They used it in Ancient China for the farmers clothes.
Properties
Ramie is one of the strongest natural fibers. It exhibits even greater strength when wet. Ramie fiber is known especially for its ability to hold shape, reduce wrinkling, and introduce a
silky lustre to the fabric appearance. It is not as durable as other fibers, and so is usually used as a blend with other fibers such as cotton or
wool. It is similar to flax in absorbency, density and microscopic appearance. However it will not dye as well as
cotton. Because of its high molecular crystallinity, ramie is stiff and brittle and will break if folded repeatedly in the same place; it lacks resiliency and is low in elasticity and elongation potential.Kadolph SJ, Langford AL. Textiles (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall; 2001. ISBN 0-13-025443-6
Uses
Despite its strength, ramie has had limited acceptance for textile use. The fiber's extraction and cleaning are expensive, chiefly because of the several steps—involving scraping, pounding, heating, washing, or exposure to chemicals. Some or all are needed to separate the raw fiber from the adhesive gums or resins in which it is ensheathed. Spinning the fiber is made difficult by its brittle quality and low elasticity; and weaving is complicated by the hairy surface of the yarn, resulting from lack of cohesion between the fibers. The greater utilization of ramie depends upon the development of improved processing methods.
Ramie is used to make such products as industrial sewing thread, packing materials, fishing nets, and filter cloths. It is also made into fabrics for household furnishings (
upholstery, canvas) and clothing, frequently in blends with other textile fibers (for instance when used in admixture with
wool, shrinkage is reported to be greatly reduced when compared with pure wool.) Shorter fibres and waste are used in paper manufacture.
Ramie is also used as an
ornamental plant in eastern Asia.
Producers
China leads in the production of ramie and exports mainly to
Japan and Europe. Other producers include Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, and
Brazil. Britannica Online Only a small percentage of the ramie produced is available on the international market. Japan,
Germany, France and the
UK are the main importers, the remaining supply is used domestically.
Sources
External links
- Nikon MicroscopyU: Phase Contrasts Microscopy
- LoveToKnow Article on Ramie
- Nebraska Extension Office factsheet
- Australian New Crops Newsletter article
Ramie - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ramie (Boehmeria nivea) is a flowering plant in the nettle family Urticaceae, native to eastern Asia. It is a herbaceous perennial growing to 1 - 2.5 m tall; [1] the leaves are ...
RAMIE
RAMIE. Family: Urticaceae. Genus: Boehmeria. Species: nivea (i) General background on the plant. Ramie is a woody herb found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, which ...
ramie skirt - People Tree
Buy Ramie Skirt from the Skirts range at People Tree, the fair trade fashion pioneer and online garment retailer.
Ramie Fabric - The Earth Collection
The Earth Collection blends ramie with cotton, and introduces a new line of ramie/cotton items as part of our collection for every season.
ramie definition of ramie in the Free Online Encyclopedia.
Encyclopedia article about ramie. Information about ramie in the Columbia Encyclopedia, Computer Desktop Encyclopedia, computing dictionary.
Lombok Linen/ramie square shade from Lombok
This large shade is made from a linen and ramie mix fabric in a lovely buff tone. 22in / 56cm. Lamp base not included.
ramieb.com
ramie - Hutchinson encyclopedia article about ramie
Hutchinson encyclopedia article about ramie. ramie. Information about ramie in the Hutchinson encyclopedia.
Ramie - the natural fiber with strength for noble apparel
Swicofil is the trusted name in the textile industry for ramie spun yarns. Ramie is used for well wearing, noble and high fashion apparel as well as for home applications.
ramie - definition of ramie by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus ...
Definition of ramie in the Online Dictionary. Meaning of ramie. Pronunciation of ramie. Translations of ramie. ramie synonyms, ramie antonyms. Information about ramie in the free ...
