Fibres: Siju Prakash Asst. Professor

Fibres
Siju Prakash
Asst. Professor
Content
• Introduction
• Classification
• Cotton
• Hemp
• Jute
FIBRES
Tissue composed of Spindle shaped or elongated thick
walled cells with pointed ends, cell walls of which
consist of cellulose and may or may not contain lignin.
Fibres are developed from single cell, the fibre initial,
which during its development grows rapidly in the
axial direction.
They are unicellular in structure.
During its growth period, the tips of the elongating
cells may push one another. This process is known as
“Gliding growth.”
Differentiation of fibres:
 On the basis of tissue in which they occur they are diffrentiated as:
Pericyclic fibres
Phloem fibres
Xylem fibres
 Pericyclic fibres: They are found in the pericyclic region i.e. near
xylem and phloem. May or may not be lignified.
 Pholem fibres: They are found in the phloem region May or may not
be lignified.
 Xylem fibres: They are found in the xylem region. They are dead and
always lignified elements.
Classification of fibres:
Fibres
Natural Artificial
Plant Animal Mineral Regenerated Synthetic
Nylone,
terylene
Glass,
Cotton, Jute, Asbestos
Carbohydrate
Hemp,
Alginate yarrn,
Flax, Banana
viscose rayon,
Wool, Silk Proxyline,
Acetated Rayon
Protein
Aridil, Fibroline
Identification of fibres
1. Microscopical examination
2. Physical test like ignition test
3. Various chemical test are done like
MOLISCH’S TEST: Sample + α-napthol in alcohol and
conc. Sulphuric acid Violet colour- Plant and
regenerated fibres present
MILLION’S TEST:
Sample + Millon’s reagent + Warm Red colour-
Animal fibres present
COTTON
• SYNONYM:- Raw cotton or absorbent cotton, surgical
cotton, purified cotton
• BIOLOGICAL SOURCE:- Cotton consist of the

epidermal trichomes or hairs of the seeds of
cultivated species of the Gossypium herbaceurre , G.
herbaceum, G. barbadense, G. hirsutum
• FAMILY:- Malvaceae
COTTON
Purified or absorbent cotton consist of the

trichomes as mentioned above, but freed from
fatty matter, and adhering impurities. It is also
bleached and sterilized.
GEOGRAPHICAL SOURCE:- USA, Egypt, India,

Africa, South africa etc.
Cotton Preparation
Seeds are covered with the hairs are known as Bolls.
They are collected, dried and taken to ginning press
where trichomes are separated from the seeds.
Various devices are used to separate the hairs.
The short and long hairs are separated from each other.
The hairs with short length are know as Linters and used
for the manufacture of absorbent cotton
while long hairs are used for the preparation of cloth.
The raw cotton obtained by this way is full of impurities,
like wax, fat, coloring matter, vegetable debris etc.
Cotton Preparation
It is processed to get rid of most of the impurities.
It is taken to the machine known as cotton opener and followed

by treatment with dilute soda solution or soda ash solution
under pressure for about 10-15 hours.
The wax, fatty material and coloring matter are removed by this
treatment.
It is then washed with water and treated with suitable bleaching
agent.
It is again washed with water, dried and carded into flat sheets.
It is finally packed in wrappers and sterilised by means of

Gamma radiations.
Morphological Description
Size- 2.5 to 4.5 cm in length and 25 to 35µ in
diameter.
Shape- Cylindrical when young, but becomes
flattened and twisted as it matures
Colour- white (Due to bleaching), Slightly off white if
sterilized
Odour- Odourless
Taste- Tasteless
Extra features: Appearance is soft, fine, filament like
hairs which are unicellular
Microscopical Characters
The trichomes are unicellular, flattened and ribbon

like with slightly thickened and rounded apex.
They are tubular and hollow.

Chemical Constituents
 90% of cellulose,
 7-8% of moisture,
 0.4% wax, fat, oil,
 0.6% protoplasm and other cell content and
 0.2% ash.
 Purified cotton or absorbent cotton is entirely

cellulose with 6-7% of moisture and 0.2-0.3% ash.
CHEMICAL TESTS
1. Specific test for cotton:- Cotton fibres + N/50
iodine Solution+ dry it + add few ml. of 80%
sulfuric acid Trichomes assume purplish-blue
or bluish-green colour (Distinction from jute,
hemp, wool, silk, nylon, alginate yarn and
acetate rayon)
2. Cuoxam test:- Raw cotton fibres + Ammonical

copper oxide solution (cuoxam-reagent)
dissolves raw cotton fibres with formation of
balloons, while absorbent cotton dissolves
completely with uniform swelling.
CHEMICAL TESTS
3.Cotton + dilute sodium hydroxide solution and HCl

Insoluble (Distinction from silk).
4.Cotton + Cold 80% of sulfuric acid Soluble. And

insoluble in cold 60% sulfuric acid, Conc. HCl, 5%
KOH, 90% phenol, cresol, acetone
USES
 Filtering medium and surgical dressings.
 Insulating material
 Absorbent cotton absorbs blood, mucus, pus and

prevents the wounds from infections.
STORAGE
 store in cool place.
 The absorbent cotton should be wrapped in

wrappers so as to prevent the dust and
microbial contamination.
Hemp
 Synonyms: Cannabis Indica, Indian hemp, Ganja,
Marihuana, Charas.
 Biological source:
Hemp fibre is obtained from the bast of the

plant Cannabis sativa
 Family: Cannabinaceae.
Cultivation
 There are broadly three groups of Cannabis
varieties being cultivated today:
 Varieties primarily cultivated for their fibre,
characterized by long stems and little
branching, called industrial hemp.
 Varieties grown for seed from which hemp oil is
extracted.
 Varieties grown for medicinal or recreational
purposes.
Preparation & Morphology
 Fibres are obtained by subjecting the stalks to a series

of operations—including retting, drying, and
crushing—and a shaking process
 that completes separation from the woody portion,
releasing the long, fairly straight fibre, or line.
 The fibre strands, usually over 1.8 metres (5.8 feet)
long, are made of individual cylindrical cells with an
irregular surface.
 The fibre diameter ranges from 16 to 50 microns.
 The fibre, longer and less flexible, is usually yellowish,
greenish, or a dark brown or gray and, because it is
not easily bleached to sufficiently light shades, is rarely
dyed.
• Long, strong and durable, hemp fibres are about
70% cellulose and contain low levels of lignin
(around 8-10%).
• Pectin-2.9%
• Fat-Wax-0.9%
• Mineral-1.8%
Uses
• Hemp has been used for centuries to make rope,
canvas and paper
• Cloth
• Filter
Jute
• Synonym :- Gunny.
• BIOLOGICAL SOURCE:
• It consists of phloem fibres
from the stem of various
species of the Corchorus; C.
capsularis Linn, C. olitorius
Linn, and other species like
C. cunninghamii, C. junodi
etc., belonging to
• family :- Tiliaceae.
Jute
Geographical Source :-
West Bengal and Assam.
Description :-
 They are tall, usually annual herbs.
 Reaching to a height of 2–4 m, unbranched and if
branched it has only a few side branches.
 The leaves are alternate, simple, lanceolate, 5–15 cm
long and a finely serrated or lobed margin.
 The flowers are small (1.5–3 cm in diameter) and
yellow, with five petals;
 The fruit encloses many seeds in the capsule
Jute: Preparation
 Retting is the process for the preparation of bast fibres.
 This process is done by three methods,
 Microbial (or Water),
 Steam
 Mechanical Process.
 The microbial or water retting process is the oldest and
the popular method employed for the breaking of lignin
bond present between parenchyma and sclerenchyma.
 The breaking of this bond facilitates the easy procurement
of skin from its core.
 Then the material is washed dried to release pectin bond
which makes the hard skin to fine thread like fibres.
 The jute fibres are graded according to its colour, strength
and fibre length.
 The fibres are of white to brown and 1–4 m. long
Jute
• Microscopy :-
A thin transverse section of the strand when
treated with phuloroglucinol and HCl, stains the
strands deep red, indicating the presence of lignin.
 Cellulose → 50-53%
 Hemi-cellulose → 20%
 Lignin → 12-13%
 Water Soluble matter → 1.5%
 Fat and Wax → 1 % each
Jute: Uses
 It is listed as the second most important vegetable
fibre after cotton.
 Jute is used chiefly to make cloth for wrapping bales
of raw cotton, in the preparation of sacks and coarse
cloth.
 They are also woven into curtains, chair coverings,
carpets,
 Hessian cloth very fine threads of jute can be made
into imitation silk and also in the making of paper.
 It is even used in the manufacture of tows, padding
splints, filtering, and straining medium.
 Jute is used for the preparation of coarse bags.
sacks
Bales of raw cotton
Hessian cloth Padding splints

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Fibres

Plant Animal Mineral Regenerated Synthetic

• BIOLOGICAL SOURCE:- Cotton consist of the

Purified or absorbent cotton consist of the

GEOGRAPHICAL SOURCE:- USA, Egypt, India,

It is taken to the machine known as cotton opener and followed

It is finally packed in wrappers and sterilised by means of

The trichomes are unicellular, flattened and ribbon

They are tubular and hollow.

 0.4% wax, fat, oil,

 0.6% protoplasm and other cell content and

 Purified cotton or absorbent cotton is entirely

2. Cuoxam test:- Raw cotton fibres + Ammonical

3.Cotton + dilute sodium hydroxide solution and HCl

4.Cotton + Cold 80% of sulfuric acid Soluble. And

 Filtering medium and surgical dressings.

 Absorbent cotton absorbs blood, mucus, pus and

 store in cool place.

 The absorbent cotton should be wrapped in

Hemp fibre is obtained from the bast of the

 Fibres are obtained by subjecting the stalks to a series

Hessian cloth Padding splints

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