Research of Degumming Process, Microstructure and Properties of Mulberry Fiber

More and more novel nature fibers are used in textiles. The natural fibers include banana fiber, pineapple fiber and bamboo fiber etc. In this paper, as a kind of novel natural fiber, mulberry fiber is studied. The chemical component of mulberry bast is tested and analyzed.Meanwhile, the degumming method and process of mulberry bast are studied. Chemical degumming experiments to investigate the influence of alkali concentration, alkali boiling time and sodium phosphate tribasic ratio to material are conducted. Consequently, optimum parameters are obtained. The crystallinity of mulberry fiber is tested by using X-ray line, and the photos of scanning electron microscope (SEM) are observed. Testing results of the fiber properties (e. g. fineness, tenacity, length and elongation)show that mulberry fiber can be spun blend with cotton.