Correlating the Fineness and Residual Gum Content of Degummed Hemp Fibres

It is well known residual gum exists in degummed or rotted hemp fibers. Gum removal results in improvement in fiber fineness and the properties of the resultant hemp yams. However, it is not known what correlation if any exists between the residual gum content in retted hemp fibers and the fiber fineness, described in terms of fiber width in this paper. This study examined the mean width and coefficient of variation (CV) of fiber width of seventeen chemically rotted hemp samples with reference to residual gum content. The mean and CV of fiber width were obtained from an Optical fiber diameter analyser (OFDA 100). The linear regression analysis results show that the mean fiber width is directly proportional to the residual gum content. A slightly weaker linear correlation also exists between the coefficient of variation of fiber width and the residual gum content. The strong linear co-relation between the mean of fiber width and the residual gum content is a significant outcome, since testing for fiber width using the OFDA is a much simpler and quicker process than testing the residual gum content. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) reinforces the OFDA findings. SEM micrographs show a flat ribbon like fiber cross-section hence the term \"fiber width\" is used instead of fiber diameter. Spectral differences in the untreated dry decorticated skin samples and chemically treated and subsequently carded samples indicate delignification. The peaks at $1370cm^{-1}$, $1325cm^{-1}$, $1733cm^{-1}$, and $1600cm^{-1}$ attributed to lignin in the untreated samples are missing from the spectra of the treated samples. The spectra of the treated samples are more amine-dominated with some of the OH character lost.cter lost.