Investigation into the TEXTILE applications OF FIBRES EXTRACTED FROM Pandanus Utilis

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Investigation into the TEXTILE applications OF
FIBRES EXTRACTED FROM Pandanus Utilis

• Mrs. A. Vaidya Soocheta
• a.soocheta_at_uom.ac.mu
• Textile Technology Department
• University of Mauritius
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. S. Rosunee (UoM)
• Prof. Dr. M. D. Teli (UICT, Mumbai)

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• The Pandanus utilis plant, commonly known as
  Vacoas in Mauritius, demonstrates a potential
  as a tangible textile fibre
• The fibre presents endless possibilities for
  textile applications, all of which are just
  waiting to be harnessed

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The common screwpine (Pandanus utilis) is,
despite its name, a tropical tree and not a pine
(Common screwpine)
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• Binomial name Pandanus utilis
• Scientific Classification
• Kingdom Plantae
• Division Magnoliophyta
• Class Liliopsida
• Order Pandanales
• Family Pandanaceae
• Genus Pandanus
• Species P. utilis
• Common name Pandano, Vacoas
• Place of origin Madagascar, Mauritius

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FLOWERS
DRY LEAVES
VACOAS
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• The leaves are linear and spiny, with a spiral
  arrangement on the tree. Care must be taken when
  handling the leaves because of their sharp spines
  
• Sun Exposure Full sun
• Growth Habits Branched evergreen shrub to
  20 feet tall (6 m)
• Watering Needs Regular to abundant water
• Propagation Seeds

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AIM

• Characterise and evaluate the textile potential
  of Pandanus utilis as a new source for textile
  fibres

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Currently the leaves of this plant find limited
application for making baskets, wall hanging and
other decorative items
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LEAVES SLICED
DRIED IN SUN
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BUNDLE OF DRIED LEAVES
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METHODOLOGY

• Retting
• De-gumming of Decorticated Fibre Bundles
• Scouring
• Bleaching
• Dissolution in Sulphuric Acid

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Retting
Mechanical, chemical and enzymatic retting
treatments were carried out to optimise the
extraction process of the fibres
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Retting- Extract fibres Retting process
optimised to separate and remove non-cellulosic
material like lignin, pectin

• Water retting
• Chemical treatment
• Sodium hydroxide and Sodium carbonate
• Hydrogen peroxide and Sodium silicate
• Effect of Sodium Hydroxide
• Treatment with NaOH and Na2CO3
• Treatment with Oxalic Acid
• Treatment with Alkaline Pectinase
• Treatment with Acidic Pectinase

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De-gumming of Decorticated Fibre Bundles

• NaOH and Na2CO3
• Oxalic Acid
• Alkaline Pectinase
• Acidic Pectinase
• Enzyme Mixture Xylanase and Cellulase

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Scouring

• Degummed decorticated fibres led to pronounced
  loss of strength without much separation of
  fibres
• Untreated decorticated fibres were used for
  further scouring with varying concentrations of
  NaOH and non ionic detergent

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Bleaching

• Sodium Hypochlorite Bleaching
• Hydrogen Peroxide Bleaching

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RESULTS
The leaves of young un-branched trees are long
and supple, whereas the leaves of older, branched
trees are rigid Leaves are made of fibre bundles
in the form of phloem tissue bundle
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Scanning Electron Microscope longitudinal and
cross-section observations of their composite
structure
Cross-section (10X)
Cross-section (5X)
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Retting

• Water retting wet strength greater than the dry
  strength. As the duration of water retting
  increases, the strength of the strength of fibre
  is reduced

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• Chemical treatment
• NaOH treatment offer cleaner fibre bundles, where
  the covering sheath of the fibre bundles was
  removed more efficiently
• NaOH H2O2

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• Effect of Sodium Hydroxide

Concentration of alkali increases, the fibre
bundles more removal of non-fibrous material.
However the strength, weight loss, appearance do
not conform to the observation. Attributed to
maturity and location of bundles in leaves
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• Treatment with NaOH and Na2CO3
• 3g/l concentration of NaOH and Na2CO3 at 80o C
  offered good results.
• At 120o C with 7g/l NaOH and 3g/l Na2CO3 showed
  improved results

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• Treatment with Oxalic Acid
• Treatment with Alkaline Pectinase
• Treatment with Acidic Pectinase
• The samples treated did not show any noticeable
  separation of fibres from leaves.
• To get a combined effect of various parameters,
  Box-Behnken method was used for optimizations

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De-gumming of Decorticated Fibre Bundles

• NaOH and Na2CO3
• Oxalic Acid
• Alkaline Pectinase
• Acidic Pectinase
• Enzyme Mixture Xylanase and Cellulase

Degummed decorticated fibres did not lead
without much separation of fibres
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Scouring

• 3 NaOH concentration was chosen for scouring as
  further bleaching would lead to strength
  reduction accompanied with improvement in
  appearance.
• Not practical to reduce the strength of the fibre
  bundles to a large extent at the scouring stage.

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Bleaching
Bleaching agent Strength Whiteness
H2O2 4 4
NaOCl 3 3/4
Samples was assessed against the grey scale 5,
4-5, 4, 3-4, 3, 2-3, 2, 1-2, 1. 5 no visual
change 1 large visual change
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FTIR 8400S Analysis

• Mechanically removed fibre bundle from dry leaves
  and fibre bundles obtained after retting,
  scouring and bleaching were subjected to FTIR
  analysis to determine the functional groups
  present.
• Functional Groups

Peak Wave no. cm-1 Functional group
1 1050 CC
2 3200-3000 Aromatic
3 3600-3300 -OH gt3400 strong and broad
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• FTIR analysis of fibre bundles obtained from
  mechanical and chemical retting, conclude that
  the scouring and bleaching do not lead to any
  substantial change enough to be seen in the FTIR
  analysis.

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CONCLUSION
Study of the structure and physical properties
such as morphological characterisation, their
mechanical behaviour in tensile tests, restates
its competence as a textile fibre
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• The research findings demonstrated from the
  investigations of the fibres extracted from
  leaves show positive results

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• Pandanus utilis (Vacoa) fibres posses great
  potential to be used as fibre.
• Due to its impressive strength it can be found
  useful for technical textile application.
• Proper utilisation of this indigenously available
  natural resource will open-up new avenues for
  this natural asset

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REFRENCES

• Bhattacharya S.D., Shah J. N., (2004), Enzymatic
  treatment of flax fabric, Textile Research Jr.,
  74/7, p622-628.
• EarleT., 1947. Retting Method Online Available
  at lthttp//www.freepatentsonline.com/2407227.pdfgt
  Accessed 2 December 2008.
• Evans J. D., Akin D.E. , Morrison W. H.,
  Himmelsbach D. S., Mcalister D. D., Foulk J. A.,
  (2003) Modifying Dew-Retted Flax Fibers and Yarns
  with a Secondary Enzymatic Treatment, Textile
  Research Journal, Vol. 73, No. 10, 901-906
• Jarvis M.C., (1988), A Survey of Pectic Content
  of Non-Lignified Monocot Cell walls, Plant
  Physiol., 88, p309-314.
• Linda B., Kimmel L.B., Boylston E. K., (2001),
  Non-traditionally Retted Flax for Dry cotton
  Blend Spinning, Textile research Jr., 71/5,
  375-380.

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REFRENCES

• Kyung Hun Song (2006), Chemical and Biological
  Retting of Kenaf Fibres, Textile Research
  Journal, Vol. 76, No. 10, p751-756.
• Patra A.K., (2003), Enzymes For Wet-Processing
  Pretreatments, Textile Asia, 34/9, p546-573.
• Zhang J., Johansson G., (2003), Effects of acidic
  media Pre-incubation on flax enzyme retting
  efficiency, Textile Research Jr., 73/3, p263-267.

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• Remembering the immortal support of
• special people in my life
• Shailesh Kharkar
• and
• Mukesh Soocheta

Mrs. Anagha Vaidya Soocheta a.soocheta_at_uom.ac.mu