Improvement in brightness and fineness of jute fibre by treatment with EDTA and polysaccharide-degrading enzymes

Abstract

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:" calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:="" "times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-theme-font:="" minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;="" mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="">The brightness and fineness of the lignocellulosic jute fibre have been improved by 5-8% and 6-7% respectively by treatment with 1 m<i>M </i>EDTA at 30°C for 1 h. The improvement in brightness has been found to be due to the loss of tannin which is present in fibre as insoluble coloured complexes with transition metal ions whereas the improvement in fineness has been attributed to the loss of pectic substances and calcium and magnesium ions. Further increase in fineness has been achieved by applying a mixed enzyme preparation containing cellulase, xylanase and pectinase on EDTA-treated fibre. Step-wise treatment with EDTA followed by enzyme has been found to be more effective than their combined application on fibre as pretreatment of fibre with EDTA removes a portion of tannin which inhibits the action of enzymes.</span>