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Biotechnology for Pulp and Paper Processing pp 97–111Cite as

Bioretting

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Abstract

Flax for centuries has provided important industrial products such as textiles, oilseed , and paper/pulp. Fibers are obtained from flax stems by the process of retting. Two methods employed for retting flax at commercial levels using pectinolytic microorganisms are water- and dew-retting . Water-retting traditionally depends upon anaerobic bacteria , such as Clostridium spp. , that live in lakes, rivers, ponds, and vats to produce pectinases and other enzymes to ret flax . The stench from anaerobic fermentation of the plants, extensive pollution of waterways, high drying costs, and putrid odor of resulting fibers resulted in a move away from anaerobic water-retting in the mid-twentieth century to dew-retting. Dew-retting is the result of colonization and partial plant degradation by plant-degrading, aerobic fungi of flax stems, which are harvested and laid out in swaths in fields. The highest quality linen fibers are produced using dew-retting but concern exists within this industry about low and inconsistent quality. Enzymes have the potential to provide an improved method to ret flax for textile fibers. Enzymatic-retting produces high and consistent quality fibers of staple length for blending with cotton and other fibers. Enzymatic-retting is faster and more reproducible than traditional methods and may provide the spinners with a better quality product.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pulp and Paper Consultant, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Pratima Bajpai

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  1. Pratima Bajpai
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Correspondence to Pratima Bajpai .

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Bajpai, P. (2018). Bioretting. In: Biotechnology for Pulp and Paper Processing. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7853-8_7

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