• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2003

We investigated the bacterial and chemical retting conditions of ramie grown in Hansan. Bacterial retting was done in troughs at a temperature of 30${\pm}$2$^{\circ}C$ for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10 days. Chemical retting(CR) was done at the different conditions using sodium silicate (Na$_2$SiO$_3$), sodium carbonate(Na$_2$CO$_3$) and sodium hydroxide(NaOH) as alkali solutions. The retting solution was boiled during 1. 2, 4 and 6 hours respectively at the different concentration(0.5, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0. 8.0 %) with decorticated ramie stems submerged in it. The treated ramie was then rinsing with running tap water thoroughly, which was further soaker in 0.5% acetic acid (v/v) solution for three minutes and washed thoroughly with distilled water. Finally ramie was dried for 2 hours in vacuum oven at 100 $^{\circ}C$. To know change of ramie fiber characteristics retted at the different conditions, weight loss, fiber bundle strength were tested and color, texture, luster etc. were also sensually evaluated. The results were as follows. $.$ Weight loss of ramie retted in each alkali solutions were about 10%, 20% and 30% in sodium silicate, sodium carbonate and sodium hydroxide, respectively. $.$ Chemical retting was faster than bacterial retting, but the color of chemically retted ramies were worse than that of bacterially retted ramies. $.$ The combination of bacterial and chemical processing showed some merits. A combination of either 2 or 3 days of bacterial and then chemical retting might provide the best quality ramie. $.$ Ramie fiber became cottonized ramie when retted in 8% NaOH solution for 6-8hours.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.862-871
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• 2003

Kenaf has been estimated as an economic and environmentally compatible crop. This study purposed to enlarge the use of kenaf as textile materials and to develope high value-added textile fibers. Kenaf has been cultivated successfully and grown fast in Jeju. The height of kenaf stalks was about 220cm at 105 DAP and 400cm at 150 DAP, After harvesting at 105 DAP and seperating the basts from harvested kenaf stalks, decorticated kenaf basts were rotted in water at 15~$25^{\circ}C$ for biological rotting and were treated with 1%, 4% and 7% NaOH at 9$0^{\circ}C$ for chemical retting. The properties of extracted fibers were compared: such as fiber diameter. Transversal and longitudinal views, colors, crystallinities, strengths and elongations etc. The diameter of kenaf bast fibers was 15~25 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$. Biologically rotted kenaf bast fibers had well developed lumens which were diminished after chemical retting. The degree of crystallinities of biologically rotted kenaf bast fiber was about 92~96% showed higher than those of chemically rotting. The biologically rotted fibers were bright and had creamy color. Yelloweness increased at chemically rotted fibers. Fiber bundle strengths were from maximum 98076.9 (gf/g) to minimum 63749.5 (gf/g). Fiber bundle strengths of biologically rotted kenaf fibers appeared greater than those of chemically rotted fibers. Alkali treatments of chemical rotting could make strength lower and elongation higher. Rotting method might be one of the most importance factors affecting to final fiber properties.

• Journal of the Korean Professional Engineers Association
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.17-26
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• 1977

In order to obtain the most practical and economically efficient method for refining of kenaf fiber and the production possibility of bag dproucts by using kenaf, Various chemicals and conditions of treatment for refining of kenaf bark were examined. Refining by the retting method was found much beneficial in quality of fiber and in processing cost than the chemical mettled. Bag products by using kenaf bark has good quality , and for practical use, Even if the production cost is slightly more expensive than jute bag, it could be reduced by planned mass production.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.27 no.9_10
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• pp.1144-1152
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• 2003

Kenaf has been cultivated in Jeju Island. After being harvested at 105 DAP(day after planting) and separated from kenaf stalks , decorticated kenaf basts were treated with different concentration/temperature/time combinations in order to do chemical rotting. The following fiber properties were compared; rotting effects, colors, crystallinity, molecular structures, dyeabilities, and non-cellulose contents such as pectins, lignins, & hemicellulose. The best results of chemical rotting were obtained from the specimens treated with low concentration/ low temperature/short time. Their colors were bright yellow. The lumens of specimens diminished with the affect of NaOH. The structures of chemically rotted kenaf fibers were cellulose 1. The degree of crystallinity of chemically retted kenaf fibers were very high. Non-cellulose content, especially hemicellulose, was low in the specimens treated with the high NaOH concentration. Dyeabilities of kenaf fibers were higher among the specimens without the non-cellulose content than those with the non-cellulose content.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.598-607
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• 2008

Bast fibers were applied for various usages from fabrics to household care products long time ago. In this study, we investigated the physical characteristrus of water retted & chemically rotted fibers of Yucca, New Zealand hemp, Corn, Kuzu vine, Indian mallow, and Mulberry paper that have been harvested by domestic cultivation. Water retting is more effective than chemical rotting for six kinds of plant fibers. When all fibers were rotted chemically with 1% sodium hydroxide, only Kuzu vine and Indian mallow were retted. Indian mallow, Yucca, New Zealand hemp, and Com fibers have higher tensile strength than any other fibers. The crystallinity of Kuzu vine, Indian mallow, Yucca, New Zealand hemp, and Corn was as low as 60% but Yucca, New Zealand hemp were flexible. Yucca had fewer lumina whereas New Zealand hemp more lumina in cross sectional shape. Especially com fibers have a structure like sponge, and Indian mallow had a net shape. The longitudinal section of New Zealand hemp showed smooth and long shape. Mulberry paper was proved to be short and thin, which is quite appropriate for making paper. In this study, we found that plant fibers for living material could be used for cloth materials.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.435-439
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• 2004

Three Bacillus strains were isolated from soil samples. Morphological and physiologi­cal characterization indicated that the isolated strains were B. mycoides, B. licheniformis and B. brevis. White pepper was produced from black pepper by the fermentative method using the isolates in shake flaks as well as in a large-scale fermenter. Volatile oil and piperine contents of the product were $3.2\%$ (v/w) and $4\%$ (v/w) respectively. The moisture content was $15\%$. The mi­crobial contamination was less than 10 per 100 g. The product also exhibited excellent storage stability.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.711-720
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• 2009

Leaf fibers have many good properties; they are strong, long, cheap, abundant and bio-degradable. Since they, however, contain a great quantity of non-cellulose components, they have been used for the materials of mats, ropes, bags and nets rather than those of clothing. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of leaf fibers in order to promote the use of leaf fibers for the materials of clothing as well as develop the high value-added textile fibers. Leaf fiber plants including New Zealand Flax, Henequen and Banana plant, which have various nature and shape, were used. New Zealand Flax and Henequen leaves were cut from lower part of plants. Banana leaves and pseudo-stems were peeled and cut from the stem of Banana plants. First, the thin outer skins like film of leaves, veins and stems were removed before retting. The chemical retting had been processed for 1hour, at 100 in 0.4% $H_2SO_4$ aqueous solution(liquid ratio 50:1). Then, the retted leaf fibers had been soaked for 1hour, at room temperature in 0.5% NaClO solution(v/v) to remove the miscellaneous materials. We investigated the physical characteristics of three leaf fibers including the transversal and longitudinal morphology, the contents(%) of pectin, lignin and hemicellulose, the length and diameter of fibers, the tensile strength of the fiber bundles, and the fiber crystallinity and the moisture regain(%). The lengths of fiber from three leaf fibers were similar to their leaf lengths. The fiber bundles were composed of the cellulose paralleled to the fiber axis and the non-cellulose intersecting at right angle with the fiber axis. The diameters of New Zealand Flax, Henequen and Banana fibers were $25.13{\mu}m$, $18.16{\mu}m$ and $14.01{\mu}m$, respectively and their tensile strengths were 19.40 Mpa, 32.16 Mpa and 8.45 Mpa, respective. The non-cellulose contents of three leaf fibers were relatively as high as 40%. If the non-cellulose contents of leaf fibers might be controlled, leaf fibers could be used for the materials of textile fiber, non-wovens and Korean traditional paper, Hanjee.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.129-133
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• 2002

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.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.30 no.7 s.155
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• pp.1025-1033
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• 2006

Kenaf bast can be obtained by decortication of Kenaf stem. Kenaf fibers are much more rough than cotton fiber because they include impurities as pectin, lignin and hemicellulose besides cellulose. The purpose of this research is to investigate the distribution of kenaf fiber length and diameter during the processes of removing impurities. To remove pectin, kenaf bast was retted chemically. A half of the retted kenaf fiber bundle were scoured and bleached. The other half one were treated with $NaClO_2$ solution to remove lignin, and were treated with sodium hydroxide solution to remove hemicellulose. Four kinds of specimens that were obtained for investigating physical characteristics. Length and diameter of 100 fibers on each specimen was measured. The tensile strength of 100 fiber bundles were measured. And also the color values of them were measured with spectrocolorimeter. The length of retted kenaf fiber was 16.97cm. Then it decreased to 11.43cm after bleaching. Kenaf fiber bundles could be finer by chemical processes that remove non-cellulosic materials. The thickness of retted fiber was $132{\mu}m$. And after undergoing the chemical processes to remove non-cellulosic materials, the thickness of kenaf fiber became finer as $73{\mu}m$. Tensile strength of the retted kenaf fiber bundles was 11.37Mpa. The retted kenaf fiber lost their strength as 22.6% by bleaching and as 18.3% by treatment for removing lignin. The retted kenaf fiber showed low whiteness as 56.48 of L*value. After bleaching, the kenaf fibers have creamy white color and their whiteness got 90.02 of L*value. After the treatment for removing hemicellulose, the kenaf fibers also have creamy white color and their whiteness got L* value of 79.02.