• 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 Wood Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.392-403
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• 2022

Currently, composite board manufacturing using natural fibers has the potential to expand owing to environmental awareness. To produce a composite board, treatment is required to improve the mechanical and physical properties of the natural fibers. In this study, sodium chloride (NaCl) was used for the chemical treatment. However, studies on chemical treatments using NaCl are limited. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of kenaf fibers after NaCl treatment. The NaCl treatment concentrations were 1, 3, and 5 wt.% at room temperature, with soaking durations of 1, 2, and 3 h. The tensile strength, strain, and Young's modulus were measured to evaluate the mechanical properties of the fibers. The fiber bundle diameter, weight change owing to treatment, and contact angle were determined to analyze the effect of NaCl treatment. The kenaf fiber bundle treated with 5 wt.% NaCl for 3 h exhibited the highest tensile strength, Young's modulus, reduction in fiber bundle diameter, weight change, and decrease in contact angle compared to those of untreated fiber bundles. The tensile properties of the fiber bundle exhibited a tendency to decrease with increasing fiber bundle diameter. Increasing the soaking duration from 1 to 2 h did not result in a significant decrease in the fiber bundle diameter or an increase in tensile strength. However, a further increase in the soaking duration from 2 to 3 h resulted in a considerable decrease in the fiber bundle diameter and an increase in the tensile strength.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.1565-1573
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• 2007

This research was aimed to investigate the effect of $K_2CO_3$ instead of NaOH on retting of the kenaf bast. We examined the relationship between separation of fiber bundle and tensile strength besides observing the color, handle and cross sectional view for the kenaf fiber retted with various concentration(100, 150, 200, 250, 500, 1000mmol) of $K_2CO_3$ and double retted with 0.5% pectinase after $K_2CO_3$ retting. The one retted on low $K_2CO_3$ concentration, $150{\sim}200mmol$, showed the best result on color, handle and luster. The separation of fiber bundle started even at the low $K_2CO_3$ concentration, 100mmol, and as the $K_2CO_3$ concentration was higher, the size of the fiber bundle was smaller. In the case of 1000mmol, the fiber bundle became irregular, but they were breaking up into certain way. Regardless of $K_2CO_3$ concentration, the thinner the diameters of the kenaf fiber bundle, the stronger tensile strength have appeared. This result corresponds with the result of cross sectional view. Retting on $150{\sim}200mmol\;K_2CO_3$ concentration was most effective on fiber bundle#s separation and tensile strength. The one with double retted with 0.5% pectinase after $K_2CO_3$ retting showed very small size of fiber bundle and low tensile strength compare to the one just retted on $K_2CO_3$. This decrease of tensile strength seem to be related to damage of the fiber resulted by excessive fibrillation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.28 no.910
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• pp.1282-1291
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• 2004

Kenaf was cultivated and harvested in large quantity in Cheju Island and Chinju, Kyungsangnamdo. It was chemically rotted with 3% NaOH for 60 minutes at 100$^{\circ}C$, neutralized using 1% acetic acid, washed and dried, and obtained 40kg of dry kenaf fiber. Kenaf 15/rayon 85, flax 15/rayon 85, and rayon 100% yam was spun and the physical characteristics were measured. Plain weave and twill weave fabrics were made using each of the above yarns as the filling yam. Cotton 100% yam was used as the warp yam in all fabrics. Kenaf/rayon blend yarns were higher in tenacity and elongation, lower in yam uniformity, higher in the number of nep than the flax/rayon blended yams. Kenaf/rayon blend fabric had higher tenacity and elongation compared to the flax/rayon blend fabric Kenaf/rayon blend fabric was most stiff in both plain weave and twill weave fabrics whereas drape characteristics was dependent upon the fabric structure of the kenaf/rayon blend and flax/rayon blend. There were little differences between the kenaf/rayon blend fabric and the flax/rayon blend fabric in the Kawabata physical measurements and the PHVs. The only drawback of kenaf fiber was it's surface roughness and it is expected that it can be improved by enzyme retting and mechanical bundle separation.

• 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.