ケナフパルプを原料とするバルカナイズドファイバーの製造と特性

抄録

The preparation of vulcanized fibers using two kinds of kenaf bast fiber, JBF (harvested in Japan) and CBF (harvested and retted in China), were investigated and their properties were compared with the vulcanized fiber from cotton linter pulp (one of the major raw materials).
The handsheets prepared from kenaf bast fiber pulps showed high absorption value of zinc chloride. In general, the strengths (tensile and ply-bond), density, elongation and glucose content of the handsheets were increased and their opacity, thickness, crystalinity and xylose content were decreased after vulcanization. Under the same treatment conditions employed, the unbleached samples of CBF with low lignin content were affected more than those of JBF with higher lignin content by vulcanization processes and accordingly gained better strengths. However, in the case of bleached samples, there was no significant difference observed between the strengths of vulcanized samples of both bast fibers and they were quite comparable to those of cotton linter.
SEM observation revealed the gelatinization of the fiber surfaces and the progress of the fiber-to-fiber bonding as a result of vulcanization. The data obtained here show that the kenaf bast fiber pulps could be employed as a potential raw material for vulcanized fiber.