• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.26-29
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• 2006

Samples of kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) grown in Malaysia were examined to determine the kraft pulp and paper-making properties of their bast (or bark) fibers. Using kraft pulping process showed that bast fibers were relatively easy to cook resulting good pulp yields in the range of 45-51 %. The bast pulp produced sheets with great density, tear index and dry zero-span breaking length. Kenaf bast fiber is considered promising for production of high-grade printing, writing and specialty papers.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.68-74
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• 2003

Kenaf(Hibiscus cannabinus L.) cultivar, Tainung 2, had been grown for 152 days at the experimental farm of Jinju National University, Gajoa-dong, Jinju-si, Kyongnam, Korea. The planting, growth rate, fertilization and structural characteristics as well as the cultivation and growth characteristics of kenaf, and the product usage were investigated. The narrowest diameter at kenaf bottom was 10 mm, the widest 42 mm and the average about 28 mm, and the shortest height 150 cm, the tallest 480 cm and the average about 350 cm. The weight of a core fraction was 68.1％ and a bast fraction 31.9％. The weight ratio of core material to bast fiber was 2.31. The weight ratio of dry stem was 73.5％ and that of leaves 26.5％. The weight of dry plant produced in 1 $m^2$ was 1,467 g, and about 1,052 g of stem could be used for the commercial purpose, The application of fertilizers resulted in the increase of the growth rate of the diameter at plant bottom and the height. Bast fiber, phloem ray and cortex parenchyma cell were observed in bast, and vessel, wood fiber and ray in core.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.45-52
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• 2007

Whole, bast and core fibers of kenaf cultivar Tainung-2 were pulped under different pulping methods, thermomechanical and kraft pulping methods. The physical and optical properties of kenaf TMP(thermomechanical pulp) and KP(kraft pulp) handsheets were investigated and the results from the study are summarized as follows: Yields of TMP and KP were $77{\sim}87%\;and\;43{\sim}52%$, respectively. There was no significant change in apparent density between kenaf KP and USKP(unbleached softwood kraft pulp) but TMP showed a little lower apparent density. Bast pulp had the lowest apparent density regardless of pulping methods. Tensile strength of kenaf KP was higher than that of TMP but similar to that of USKP. Both TMP and KP handsheets of bast fraction showed the highest tear strengths among whole, bast, and core fractions. Core fraction showed the lowest tear strengths under different pulping methods. In general burst strength of kenaf pulp under different pulping methods was lower than that of USKP, and kenaf pulp had better stiffness than USKP. Brightness of kenaf KP and TMP was higher than that of USKP. There was no significant variation in opacity between kenaf pulp and USKP even though kenaf pulp showed a little lower opacity. The main difference in paper quality between the core fiber and bast fiber is derived from the fact that bast fiber is long and thin, whereas core fiber is short and thick.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.862-871
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• 2003

Kenaf has been estimated as an economic and environmentally compatible crop. This study purposed to enlarge the use of kenaf as textile materials and to develope high value-added textile fibers. Kenaf has been cultivated successfully and grown fast in Jeju. The height of kenaf stalks was about 220cm at 105 DAP and 400cm at 150 DAP, After harvesting at 105 DAP and seperating the basts from harvested kenaf stalks, decorticated kenaf basts were rotted in water at 15~$25^{\circ}C$ for biological rotting and were treated with 1%, 4% and 7% NaOH at 9$0^{\circ}C$ for chemical retting. The properties of extracted fibers were compared: such as fiber diameter. Transversal and longitudinal views, colors, crystallinities, strengths and elongations etc. The diameter of kenaf bast fibers was 15~25 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$. Biologically rotted kenaf bast fibers had well developed lumens which were diminished after chemical retting. The degree of crystallinities of biologically rotted kenaf bast fiber was about 92~96% showed higher than those of chemically rotting. The biologically rotted fibers were bright and had creamy color. Yelloweness increased at chemically rotted fibers. Fiber bundle strengths were from maximum 98076.9 (gf/g) to minimum 63749.5 (gf/g). Fiber bundle strengths of biologically rotted kenaf fibers appeared greater than those of chemically rotted fibers. Alkali treatments of chemical rotting could make strength lower and elongation higher. Rotting method might be one of the most importance factors affecting to final fiber properties.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.47-54
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• 2009

Anatomical characteristics of kenaf were investigated in transverse, radial and tangential direction by optical and scanning electron micrograph. Kenaf was made up of bast fibers, wood fibers, vessels and parenchyma cells. Bast fibers were long slender cells with different types of pits. The shape of wood fibers were in various ways and pointed at the ends. The pits were observed on the surface of bast fibers. Kenafs were diffuse and radial porous. and composed of solitary pores and two or three radial pore multiples. Various types of vessels were observed. The pits showed alternate pitting and larger diameter than other cells. Parenchyma cells were rectangular or square with different shapes of pith parenchyma cells compared to conventional types of parenchyma cells in wood. The number of pith on the surfaces were small.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.98-103
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• 2005

Anatomical properties of kenaf cultivated in Korea was investigated using light microscopy. Bast fiber, phloem ray and cortex parenchyma cell were observed in bast, and vessel, wood fiber and ray in core. A lot of solitary and multiple radial pores in core existed. The cell type of ray parenchyma in radial section was procumbent, upright and square cells. Uniseriate and multiseriate rays existed in tangential section. The layer of bast fiber in bast increased with increasing the growth period.

• Proceedings of the Korea Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry Conference
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• 2006.06b
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• pp.373-379
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• 2006

Fiber characteristics and fiber distribution of thermomechanical pulp(TMP), bisulfite chemithermomechanical pulp(bisulfite CTMP), neutral sulfite chemithermomechanical pulp(neutral sulfite CTMP) from kenaf(Hibiscus cannabinus L., Malvaceae) cultivar Tainug-2 cultivated in the reclaimed land of Korea were examined to use effectively nonwood fibers as an alternative raw material sources for papermaking. Yields of TMP and CTMP from kenaf were lower than those of TMP from hardwoods and CTMP from softwoods and hardwoods. Bark fibers of kenaf cultivar Tainung-2 ranged 2.04 to 2.30 mm long and $18.7{\sim}19.7{\mu}m$ width. Core fibers averaged 0.63 to 0.80 mm long and $29.5{\sim}31.4{\mu}m$ wide. Coarseness of bark fiber was higher than that of core fiber, and fiber from TMP were higher than those from both bisulfite CTMP and neutral sulfite CTMP. Curl indexes of bark fibers were higher than those of core fibers. However curl indexes were not significantly affected by the pulping conditions. Short fiber distributions were higher in core fibers from TMP and CTMP and long fiber distributions were higher in bark fibers. There was no significant difference in fiber distribution of whole and core fibers obtained from TMP and CTMP, Fibers from neutral sulfite CTMP, however, exhibited a little higher long fiber distribution. Distinct difference in anatomical characteristics was found between core and bast fibers of kenaf plant. Parenchyma cell, pith parenchyma cell and vessel were observed in core fibers and bast fiber in bast sections.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.70-76
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• 1999

This study was to measure the potential of nonwoody fibrous material, kenaf. Whole stalk of kenaf, Hibiscus cannabinus was separated by two parts of bast and core portion, and cooked separately by alkaline method. Morphological characteristic was evaluated using confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) and fiber quality analyzer(FQA). The strength properties of handsheets, made by different mixing ration between kenaf base and core fibers, were measured. Cross-sectional area of bast fibers was smaller than that of core fibers, but the bast fibers had a thick cell wall and narrow lumen area. Bast fibers were longer in length than core fibers. Core fibers had thin cell walls, broad lumen areas, and short lengths, and they had collapsed shape even in water. These characteristics of core fibers affected strength properties of handsheet positively. When the amount of core fibers increased, the strength properties of handsheet were increased. When the amount of bast fibers increased, the handsheet had rougher surface and higher air permeability.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.873-881
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• 2004

This research was aimed to investigate the effect of enzyme and the addition of chelators on rotting of the Kenaf bast. Enzyme rotting was effective only when the chelators were added with the enzyme. EDTA was a more effective chelator than oxalic acid under 1% concentration. There was no difference in the rotting effect under different enzyme concentration levels, and under different treatment time and temperature. Therefore, it was found that enzyme rotting can be carried out with low enzyme concentration(0.125%) at room temperature. Retting time can be shortened when higher enzyme concentration and higher temperature are applied. Cellulose I structure of kenaf fiber did not change after enzyme rotting, and different enzyme concentration did not affect the crytallinity structure. Non-cellulosic matters such as hemicellulose, lignin, and pectin were present in the descending order in the enzyme rotted kenaf fiber, and there were no differences in their amounts due to enzyme concentration levels. There was no difference in the dyeabilities of kenaf fiber rotted with different enzyme concentration levels. Enzyme rotted kenaf fiber showed better cyeability when pectin, lignin, and hemicellulose were removed.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.1-9
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• 2008

The utilization of non-woody fibers with the fast growing annual plants has occurred in the paper industry to replace wood and preserve environment of the earth. The non-woody fibers generally used for papermaking are paper mulberry, gampi, manila hemp, rice straw, bamboo, and coton linter etc.. Recently Kenaf has been spot-lighted for the same application. Kenaf is an annual plant of Hibiscus species of Malvaceae family. Kenaf, a rapid growing and high harvesting non-woody fiber plant, was identified as one of the promising fiber sources for the production of paper pulp. This study was carried out to investigate the pulping characteristics of Kenaf bast fiber for Hanji (traditional Korean paper) manufacturing by different pulping methods, such as alkali, alkali-peroxide and sulfomethylated pulpings. It was possible to make superior grade of Hanji. Especially sulfomethylated pulping was resulted in superior pulp in terms of higher yields and qualities in comparison to those of the other pulping methods. Hanji from sulfomethylated pulp was shown the highest brightness of over 60% and higher sheet strength. In addition, the morphological features of pulp fibers (pulp compositions) affect to the sheet properties. Therefore the effect of fiber distribution index(FDI) which was calculated from the data of Confocal laser scanning microscopy(CLSM) on the sheet properties of Kenaf Hanji was also discussed.