Kenaf Fibres
Botanical information
- Its botanical name is Hibiscus Cannabinus L. and is also known as Mesta, Ambari, Gambo, etc.
- It belongs to the family Malvaceae and the species Hibiscus.
- It is a bast fibre.
- Kenaf, a dicotyledonous, herbaceous annual plant, has a high fibre yield.
Agroclimatic Conditions for Cultivation
- The kenaf plant is known for its economic and horticultural importance and use.
- It is adaptable to temperate and tropical climates and can flourish with abundant solar radiation and high rainfall.
- It requires well-drained, neutral, sandy loams rich in humus.
- It has moderate drought tolerance but is sensitive to frost. The optimum plant growth temperature should be above 10oC throughout the growing season to obtain maximum yield.
Table 1. Physical & mechanical properties and chemical composition of areca nut fibres
Physical & Mechanical properties
Length
2.32±0.21mm
Diameter
21.9±4.6 µm
Tensile strength
930 MPa
Elongation at break
1.7±0.2%
Moisture content
8%
Chemical Composition
Cellulose
45-57%
Hemi-cellulose
8-13 %
Lignin
22 %
Pectin
0.6%
Wax
0.8%
Ash
2-5%
Features
- Kenaf fibres are relatively short, but they can reach up to 5mm under favourable climatic conditions within 6-8 months.
- The colour of the fibres ranges from light yellow to grey, and they exhibit moderate to high lustre.
- Despite being coarser and less pliable than jute, kenaf fibres have a high breaking strength.
- They also possess flame-retardant properties, excellent sound insulation, and antimicrobial properties due to lignin coating between fibre layers.
- The average yield of kenaf fibres ranges from 0.846-3.758 tons per ha.
Uses
- Kenaf is widely used in industrial applications such as paper and pulp, textiles, insulating mats.
- Its applications include the creation of absorption material, animal bedding, bio composites, biomass, etc.
- Kenaf Fibres are used as reinforcement material in thermoplastic compounds in Mediterranean countries.
- It is used as a raw material for the substitution of wood in pulp production and paper industries.
- In the past and still, it can produce high-quality cordages, ropes, sacs, canvases, carpets.
