Creating coconut matting begins with processing the raw coconut husk to obtain the usable fibre material known as coir.
Preparing the Raw Material: Coir
The essential first step in making coconut matting involves preparing the natural fibres from the coconut husk. According to sources, this process includes:
- Soaking the Husk: Once separated from the coconut fruit, the coconut husk is submerged in water. This soaking period is crucial as it encourages the production and growth of bacteria.
- Bacterial Breakdown: These naturally occurring bacteria play a vital role by eating away at the coconut husk material.
- Yielding Raw Coir: The bacterial action continues until only the raw coir is left behind. This material is not a single component but rather a combination of two main elements:
- Coir fibres: The strong, stringy fibres that form the structural basis for matting.
- Coconut dust (coir pith): A fine, powdery material that is also part of the raw coir.
This preparation phase extracts the durable coir fibres from the husk, providing the necessary raw material that will later be cleaned, spun, and woven or otherwise processed into the final coconut matting product. The information provided details this specific part of the manufacturing process – the extraction of the raw coir from the husk.
