FAIR-CT98-5051 Biofinishing and enzymatic modification of bast fibres

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FAIR Area 2.2 - Bioprocessing : FAIR Marie Curie Research Training Grants : Textiles/Fabrics/Geomembranes

Objectives:

The objectives of this project were twofold:

• To gain a better understanding of the composition and juxtaposition of specific components of flax fibres, i.e. pectins and hemicelluloses
• To treat flax fibres with enzymes in order to optimise isolation of pure cellulosic fibres.

Activities and Results:

The following observations were made

• The sequential extractions of retted and non-retted fibres demonstrated differences in their content of rhamnogalacturonans, arabinans and xylans. Analysis of molecular weights of the extracts demonstrated the most significant differences were in the pectin extraction and in the xylan containing 1 M KOH extraction. Initial low dose enzyme treatments of the fibres demonstrated that: endoglucanases solubilised the most material including pectins
• mannanase treatment was specific for galactoglucomannans
• xylanase treatment solubilised small amounts of xylan
• mannanase treatment of processed fibres solubilised approximately 10% of mannan and 20% of glactose.

Conclusions:

Enzyme action on fibres is a surface phenomenon and access to components beyond the surface is limited where there is no prior opening or loosening of the fibre structure. More enzyme treatments are needed on processed fibres in order to optimise conditions for the selective removal of non-cellulosic polymers.

Keywords: textile fibres

Contacts

Scientific Supervisor

• ATO BV NETHERLANDS