Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #136443
Title: EFFECTS OF ACIDIC MEDIA PRE-INCUBATION ON FLAX ENZYME RETTING EFFICIENCY

Author
item ZHANG, JING - UPPSALA, SWEDEN
item PETTERSSON, BERT - STFI-STOCKHOLM,SWEDEN
item AKIN, DANNY
item FOULK, JONN - USDA- ARS-CLEMSON, SC
item JOHANSSON, GUNNAR - UPPSALA, SWEDEN
item HENRIKSSON, GUNNAR - STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

Submitted to: Textile Research Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/2003
Publication Date: 7/1/2003
Citation: ZHANG, J., PETTERSSON, B., AKIN, D.E., FOULK, J.A., JOHANSSON, G., HENRIKSSON, G. EFFECTS OF ACIDIC MEDIA PRE-INCUBATION ON FLAX ENZYME RETTING EFFICIENCY. TEXTILE RESEARCH JOURNAL. 2003. v. 73. p. 263-267.

Interpretive Summary: The retting (i.e., fiber separation from non-fiber tissues) of flax is currently carried out with indigenous fungi, and fiber quality and consistently is low. Better retting methods are required to improve the industry and bring a flax fiber industry to the US. Enzyme retting potentially could provide this better method, but methods to optimize and reduce costs are needed. Research has shown that acid pretreatment can enhance enzyme-retting of flax and reduce costs of chelators. These results provide useful information towards optimizing a new retting method with improved fiber quality and reduced costs.

Technical Abstract: The influence of pre-incubation in weakly acidic media, with pH in the range of 1.6 - 3.0. on enzyme-retting of flax was studied. Overnight incubation in media that maintained a pH ca 2 decreased the amount of enzyme needed for virtually complete retting, as judged by a modified Fried Test, by 2-3 orders of magnitude. The time course of pH changes due to the buffering capacity of the flax samples was monitored, and 20 mM H2SO4 or 40 mM H3PO4 maintained the initial pH of 2.0 throughout pretreatment. Washing the enzyme-retted fibers in ethanol and then acetone or in 0.1M KOH reduced the stickiness and matting of fibers, thus apparently eliminating dry-back. The methods described show potential usefulness in the development of a commercial enzyme-retting process.