Abstract

In this paper, the chemical ingredients of mulberry bast was tested by quantitative analysis. Our objective was to
substitute the slow and difficult to control retting process by a fast and well controlled process, i.e. the two-step boiled
process treatment (TSBP) of mulberry bast which was treated by mechanism. During the TSBP treatment the pectin,
Lignin and hemicelluloses are hydrolysed and rendered in water or alkali-soluble, the fibers being more easily
degummed. The TSBP treatment was among the best conditions for the degumming and individualisation of the fibers. The two-step boiled samples were tested. The results indicated that the length of mulberry fiber is 23.0-35.0mm,
fineness is 2.3-3.5 dT, breaking tenacity is 5.0-10.0cN/dT, breaking extension rate is 3.5-5.5%, moisture regain is
9-10%. The samples were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the morphological aspects of the
mulberry fibers are discussed.Structural disruption was observed by X-ray measurement. 

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