Classifications

• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D01—NATURAL OR MAN-MADE THREADS OR FIBRES; SPINNING
  • D01C—CHEMICAL OR BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF NATURAL FILAMENTARY OR FIBROUS MATERIAL TO OBTAIN FILAMENTS OR FIBRES FOR SPINNING; CARBONISING RAGS TO RECOVER ANIMAL FIBRES
  • D01C1/00—Treatment of vegetable material

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a biochemical retting process for Liberian fibrous plants such as hemp, flax, ramie, jute and kenaf.
• the invention relates in particular to a biochemical process, the application of which is intended to allow the use, by the textile or para-textile industry or the rope industry, of liberian, cellulosic and similar fibrous plants, which have not undergone the natural retting which makes it possible to separate the fibers in the bundle.
• the Liberian fibrous plants after their harvest, are subjected to natural retting, either on land by exposure to the weather, or in water for the natural development of microorganisms whose effect is disintegration and "digestion" of the natural cements which bind the fibers within the bundle in the Liberian fibrous plants.
• This technique directly linked to atmospheric and hydrographic conditions, requires a duration of action of the order of 2 to 5 weeks and the intervention of labor and important equipment.
• Hemp is one of the so-called Liberian fiber plants, in which the cellulosic fibers are bundled in the liber surrounding the stem of the plant.
• Flax, ramie, jute and kenaf are the main other fiber plants belonging to this family of Liberian plants.
• the cellulosic fibers of these plants must be separated from the bast, then from them in bundles. This separation is made possible by natural retting. It is then carried out mechanically using specially adapted textile material.
• Natural retting an operation known and practiced for centuries, consists in immersing the stems in the water of certain rivers for relatively long periods, immersion which results in the natural development of bacteria, anaerobes which generate micro-organisms capable of degrading the plant macromolecules which weld the beams together in the liber and the fibers between them in the beams.
• the object of the invention is therefore to provide an industrial process for the retting of Liberian fibrous plants in order to solve the reliability and reproducibility problems posed by the natural retting processes due to meteorological hazards.
• the biochemical retting process of fibrous Liberian plants, in particular hemp, in order to obtain the degradation of cements aggregating the fibers in the bundles and thus allow their physical separation for their use in spinning or cordage in view of the manufacture of yarns or rovings usable in the textile or paratextile industry, or cordage is characterized in that the fibrous plants are treated by means of at least one SPS-ase enzyme.
• the process which is the subject of the invention is based on the main use of this SPS-ase enzyme which makes it possible to break the macromolecular chains of the cements which link together the cellulosic fibers in the fibrous plants of Liberia such as hemp, linen, ramie, jute, kenaf, etc. while not touching, or as little as possible, the cellulose constituting the fibers of interest for the textile or paratextile industry.
• the SPS-ase enzyme used for this purpose is specific to the non-cellulosic constituents of fibers, which weld the fibers together within the fiber bundle.
• the SPS-ase enzyme used in the process according to the invention is a broad spectrum polyactive enzyme acting on polysaccharides.
• This SPS-ase enzyme has been described in British patent 2,115,820. It is marketed by the Danish company NOVO INDUSTRI A / S under the reference SP 249. This enzyme has the following four main activities: - pectolytic activity - cellulolitic activity - hemicellulolitic activity - proteolytic activity.
• pectolytic activity of this enzyme would appear, according to the research carried out by the applicants, to be more at the level of the reduction in viscosity of pectins, water-soluble parts of pectic materials essentially consisting of polygalacturonic acid comprising various amounts of methyl ester groups or at the level of the depolymerization of water-soluble protopectins with a high degree of esterification.
• the cellulolitic activity is observed especially at the level of the natural carboxy-methyl-celluloses of plants. This activity is interesting in the retting of hemp due to the degradation of C.M.C. which constitute a very resistant "glue" with high adhesive power.
• This cellulolitic activity is supplemented by a gluconic fungal activity and above all by a tiny cellubiase activity, which makes it possible to avoid degradation of the cellulose fibers, the only ones which are interesting and the aim of the whole operation.
• the hemicellulolitic activity the aim of which is the degradation of hemicelluloses, xylans, as well as polyoses such as arabinase and ⁇ galactoses.
• This broad spectrum polysaccharidase also has proteolytic activity on plant proteins.
• SPS-ase is enhanced when the treatment is carried out by means of a mixture of this enzyme with beta-glucanase and / or pectinase.
• ⁇ -glucanase acts by hydrolysis of ⁇ glucans at the level of the ⁇ 1-3 and ⁇ 1-4 bonds into oligosaccharides and soluble dissaccharides.
• Pectinase has a double activity on pectic matters, namely: - a non-depolymerizing activity, - depolymerizing activity.
• the three types of enzymes above thus have complementary activities and in addition the important characteristic of having application conditions compatible with the treatment of bast fibers, namely an optimal pH zone located between pH 4 and pH 6 and an optimal temperature range between 40 and 60 ° C.
• the treatment of Liberian plants is carried out by impregnation and then maceration of the straws or tows in an aqueous medium containing the above enzyme (s).
• the maceration time should be between one hour and forty eight hours, preferably between three and thirty six hours.
• the maceration temperature must be between 20 ° C and 70 ° C, preferably between 40 ° C and 60 ° C and this maceration is carried out at a pH between 3 and 7, preferably between 4 and 6, this pH being adjusted using an organic acid.
• a first series of tests consisted in determining, on paper tows, the action of broad spectrum polysaccharidase (SPS-ase) by subjecting to the action of an enzyme bath of a defined concentration of the quantities identical tows in order to define the optimal duration of the enzymatic action.
• SPS-ase broad spectrum polysaccharidase
• enzymatic macerations were carried out hour by hour from 1 to 12 hours and then at 6 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. - 36 - 48 - 60 - 72 - 84 and 96 hours.
• hemp samples for 8 to 12 hours, then 18 - 24 and 30 hours, to hemp samples of SPS-ase enzyme of increasing concentration and at pH and constant temperature.
• pectinase With regard to pectinase, a more specific action appeared at the level of the colored "cuticle" surrounding the fiber bundles, as well as at the level of the silky and softness of the fibers, no doubt as a result of the degradation and of the solubilization of this cuticle.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Zoology (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Or Physical Treatment Of Fibers (AREA)
• Hydroponics (AREA)
• Medicines Containing Material From Animals Or Micro-Organisms (AREA)
• Medicines Containing Plant Substances (AREA)
• Medicines That Contain Protein Lipid Enzymes And Other Medicines (AREA)
• Nonwoven Fabrics (AREA)
• Pharmaceuticals Containing Other Organic And Inorganic Compounds (AREA)
• Micro-Organisms Or Cultivation Processes Thereof (AREA)
• Non-Alcoholic Beverages (AREA)
• Breeding Of Plants And Reproduction By Means Of Culturing (AREA)
• Seeds, Soups, And Other Foods (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

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ID=9324150

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (12)

Cited By (5)

Families Citing this family (17)

Citations (4)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 1985
  • 1985-10-18 FR FR8515788A patent/FR2588886B1/fr not_active Expired
• 1986
  • 1986-10-15 ES ES86402302T patent/ES2000003A4/es active Pending
  • 1986-10-15 DE DE8686402302T patent/DE3664936D1/de not_active Expired
  • 1986-10-15 EP EP86402302A patent/EP0221811B1/de not_active Expired
  • 1986-10-15 DE DE198686402302T patent/DE221811T1/de active Pending
  • 1986-10-15 AT AT86402302T patent/ATE45398T1/de active
  • 1986-10-16 DK DK496186A patent/DK158545C/da not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1986-10-17 JP JP61505512A patent/JPH07103484B2/ja not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1986-10-17 WO PCT/FR1986/000358 patent/WO1987002390A1/fr unknown
  • 1986-10-17 PT PT83568A patent/PT83568B/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1986-10-17 IE IE274886A patent/IE59687B1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1988
  • 1988-05-20 GR GR88300063T patent/GR880300063T1/el unknown
• 1989
  • 1989-03-22 US US07/327,403 patent/US4891096A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1989-08-10 GR GR89400129T patent/GR3000123T3/el unknown

Patent Citations (4)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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