12—THE ENZYMATIC SOFTENING AND UPGRADING OF LIGNOCELLULOSIC FIBRES PART I: THE SOFTENING AND CLEANING OF LOW-GRADE MESTA AND JUTE

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Abstract
When there is a shortage of jute, the industry has to fall back upon low-grade coarse fibres to keep production going. This, however, requires an improved softening treatment for low-grade fibres. A new enzymatic method of softening and upgrading low-quality fibres developed at the Indian Jute Industries' Research Association makes it possible to increase considerably the proportion of such fibres in higher-quality batches with satisfactory results and appreciable economy in the batch cost. The proportion of different grades of enzyme-treated mesta was increased at least twofold in batches ranging from sacking warp to special clean hessian. Besides mesta, other lower-grade fibres were also found to be amenable to softening and cleaning by this enzyme process. Thus, the proportion of upgraded middle-grade tossa jute (TD4) can be raised by up to 25% instead of using higher-grade fibres (TD2 and TD3) in the special-clean-hessian batches. The process is claimed to entail a net cost-saving of about Rs 50/- (i.e., about £2.75) per tonne of batch.