Extraction of hemp fibers
AssigneeNational Research Council of Canada
InventorsWing L. Sung, Mark Wood, Fang Huang
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Abstract
A method of extracting hemp fibers from decorticated hemp bast skin involves pre-treating the decorticated hemp bast skin with an aqueous solution containing di-sodium citrate, tri-sodium citrate or a mixture thereof having a pH of from about 6-13 at temperature of about 90° C. or less; and subsequently treating recovered fiber with a enzyme. Determining the extent of completion of a plant fiber degumming process involves treating degummed fiber with a recombinant pectinase expressed in an organism that produces neither cellulose nor xylanase, to release reducing sugar from any residua pectin on the degummed fiber, and, quantifying the released reducing sugar.
Claims25
Method of extracting hemp fibers from decorticated hemp bast skin comprising pre-treating the decorticated hemp bast skin with an aqueous solution containing di-sodium citrate, tri-sodium citrate or a mixture thereof having a pH of from about 6-13 at a temperature of about 90° C. or less;
- and subsequently treating recovered fiber with a pectinase.
Method for determining extent of completion of a plant fiber degumming process comprising:
- treating degummed fiber with a pectinase to release reducing sugar from any residual pectin on the degummed fiber;
- and, quantifying the released reducing sugar.
A method for determining extent of completion of a plant fiber softening process comprising:
- providing wet processed fiber in a container that constrains the wet processed fiber laterally;
- placing a weight on top of the wet processed fiber;
- and, measuring a change in bulk size of the wet processed fiber due to compression by the weight.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.