Defects of Jute Fiber: Causes and Remedies

Defects of Jute Fiber: Causes and Remedies

Md. Amir Khasru
B.Sc. in Textile Engineering
Department of Yarn Engineering, SARSTEC
Email: santo.amirkhasru2002@gmail.com

Introduction:
The jute is called the golden fiber of Bangladesh for its extensive, versatility, and environment-friendliness use in many sectors. After cotton, jute is the second most used vegetable fiber in the world. Jute is eco-friendly, low extensibility, high tensile strength, and 100% biodegradable fiber. There are too many applications of jute fibers, such as in non-woven textiles, packaging, construction, and agriculture. In this article I will explain different jute fiber defects and their reasons and remedies.

History of Jute Fibers:
Bengalis used to manufacture jute ropes and twines for several domestic uses. The impoverished Indians used to wear clothing made of jute during the Akbar Empire. Paper was once created in China from a variety of plants, including cotton, hemp, and jute. The first jute mill was created by the British East India Company during the 17th and 20th centuries. Scotland and other nations were attempting to find out at the time if jute could be treated mechanically. With over 950 looms, the first jute mills were founded in 1969. The first jute mill, Adamjee Jute Mills, was founded in east Pakistan in 1947. It was renamed Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation in 1971. In 1979, BJMC had 77 and in 1981 had 74 jute mills with 165,000 workers and 27,000 managerial and office staff.

Types of Jute Fibers:

1. White Jute: less durable and brighter than others in color is called white jute.
2. Dark Jute or Tossa Jute: long fibers used to make sacks and bags. It is stronger, silkier, and softer than white jute.
3. Mesta Jute: Combination of white and Tossa jute.
4. Jute Cutting: It is the leftover jute parts.

Defects of Jute Fibers with Reasons and Remedies:

1. Specky jute: If the fibers are not washed properly and unevenly rotted, then specky happens. The barks of the barks go on to the fiber, known as specky jute. It is one of the most noted defects.

Remedy: First of all, we should ensure the proper retting process correctly and wash the fiber properly in the right way after they have been stripped carefully. Secondly, we can follow advanced techniques of retting and stripping and also washing. For better performance, promote awareness of it. We can provide education to farmers with advance training and give the right instruction to the workers.

2. Knotty jute fiber: During jute cultivation, when jutes are growing up, sometimes branches spread in the jute trees. This phenomenon makes it difficult for workers separating fibers from the stem of jute fibers. Difficulties of fiber extraction turned into knotty jute fibers.

Remedy: Try to protect the branch formation phenomenon on jute trees. To identify the fibers affected properly, we should use the manual technique of sorting or appropriate machinery. Separating or cleaning knots from fiber is the best solution. The next process must use knot-free jute fibers.

3. Dead fiber: It happens when jute fibers overrotted or are stored in excessively moist conditions, resulting in reduced luster, color, and strength and a devalued market price.

Remedy: During the retting process, you must monitor the process, and if not turned, it will overrot. The fibers should not keep to the retting solution more times than needed. Use proper time management in every step and avoid excessive moisture conditions in storing.

4. Dazed: Loss of luster, color, and strength due to jute fiber stored in moist condition and overrotten is the defect known as dazed. Color and strength are important properties required for the overall quality and market value of jute fiber.

Remedy: Strength, color, and luster directly impact the overall quality of jute fiber. To prevent dazed defects, we should maintain and monitor the overall retting process with proper time management. Must need to ensure that the jute fibers are not exposed for a longer time period on the retting solution. Different grade jute needs a different time period for retting, and so regular testing and checking of the fiber could prevent the fiber damage. Finally, keep them in a dry and well-ventilated environment.

5. Croppy jute: The fiber damage likely caused by rough, black, and hard top ends due to fiber improperly retted is called croppy jute. In general, softness and uniformity are essential in jute fiber textile applications. This defect also affects the quality and usability of jute fiber. In the process of separating the jute fibers from the woody stalks, this defect is caused by improper retting. In the retting process, inadequate water supply, inadequate retting duration, and improper technique are responsible for it.

Remedy: First of all, make sure the right watershed, pond, or river has the required water level. While retting jute, ensure the possibility of water entering each plant to facilitate decomposition. Recently innovated advanced techniques like bio-enzyme retting or retting agents can solve this problem.

6. Rooty jute: Root-like or remnants on the fiber surface are called rooty jute. During the washing process, if the root end of the fiber is not completely removed, then it becomes rooty jute fiber. Rooty jute reduces fiber to yarn efficiency in spinning.

Remedy: In jute, some root remnants also remain; it should be cleaned and sorted rigorously. Scutching machines, beating machines, and such as others machines can be used to remove rooty fibers. Sometimes manual sorting can be used.

7. Mossy jute: When jute plants grow in stagnant or waterlogged conditions, this defect occurs. Moss or algae grow on the fiber surfaces; extended periods of time to moisture are responsible for mossy jute.

Remedy: Moss, algae, and other contaminants should be cleared carefully from the fiber surface. Keep the fibers in a dye environment to avoid moisture and moss growth.

8. Runners: It happens due to careless washing and stripping. Jute fibers become intertwined and form long, making separation and processing them difficult.

Remedy: Jute stripping and washing are very important to control jute fiber quality and market value. Giving proper training to workers involved in the stripping and washing is one of the solutions towards ensuring proper handling and arrangement. In stripping, proper speed control is also necessary to prevent runners defects.

9. Fluffy or flabby jute: The flabby jute fibers are developed during careless retting and over-retting. Excessive retting and inadequate handling are the main reasons behind flabby fiber formation.

Remedy: From the beginning to the end of the retting process, it should be monitored properly so as not to overret. Providing proper guidelines to workers and farmers can easily prevent the fiber damage.

10. Hunka: These types of defects occur due to fault in separation from woody bark in the retting and processing stage. Bark particles are remains with fiber stands. Jute fibers become hard, barky textures due to non-removed hard banks.

Remedy: The process of Separation of jute fibers from woody bark should be improved in retting. Bio-enzyme, retting agent may be used to breakdown the bark. Maintaining the time period for different grade fiber.

11. Heat damage: During retting process, the heat is generated. If the heat generated excessive compared to the demand, then heat damage is happed. Due to heat damage fiber strength low, color change and quality reduction is happened.

Remedy: During retting process, one should check the jute heat and control it properly. Regular maintenance of the solution is only one solution.

12. Sticky or woody fiber: During processing, If the jute fiber is not stripped properly, the jute fiber become sticky and woody. In the fiber body remains some broken part of plant and which caused sticky or woody feels. Sticky or woody fiber can’t turn into higher grade yarn. It also reduces fiber quality and properties.

Remedy: Firstly, ensure the fiber fully free from brown piece and wash carefully. If some woody part remain then removes them manually if need. Providing proper guideline how to remove impurities without damaging fiber may be helpful.

13. Weak fiber: If the luster, color, and strength are lost, then the fiber is called weak fiber. It occurs for many reasons, such as immature jute, overretting, excessive pressure and heat, storing in moisture conditions, and so on.

Remedy: Similarly to others, defect remedy jute should be maintained properly and also control the quality at every stage. Use proper humidity and environmental factors with appropriate packaging or storage techniques.

14. Heart damage: Heart damage happens during the processing. In the processing stage, sometimes excessive moisture remains in the jute fiber core, which causes badly fiber damage. These types of damage are called heart damage. It may have happened during the baling process.

Remedy: It should be dried properly before baling process. In cloudy weather, you must focus on jute moisture. Before storing the jute fiber, you must check the fiber moisture level.

15. Transit or exterior damage: In every stage, jute fiber is needed to transit from one place to another for further place. During transport of jute fiber, transit or exterior damage occurs. To prevent and reduce it, proper handling is necessary.

Remedy: Using waterproof cover or covering with plastic sheets during cloudy weather can protect jute bale. Be careful on transport in every stage of processing.

Reasons of Jute Fiber Defects:
According to above discussion we can easily understand the main reasons of jute fiber defects. Here mentioning some of common reason of jute fiber defects.

1. Improper Jute retting process and solution.
2. Improper jute stripping and mis-management in fiber separation from jute strike.
3. Excessive moisture.
4. Brach in jute trees generation in the jute trees.
5. Impurities in the jute fibers.
6. Time mis-management in every stage.
7. Excessive heat generation in jute.

Conclusion:
Historically, jute is our most cultivated fiber in Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s economy totally depends on textiles and agriculture. Most of the textile materials of our textile industry are from foreign nations; only jute is ours. Using jute fibers in multiple sectors will be helpful, both in agriculture and textiles. In recent studies, many technologies have been invented to prevent jute fiber defects.

Image courtesy:

1. https://www.deniminnovation.com/2019/02/09/demand-of-golden-jute-fiber/
2. https://asiajute.com/history-of-jute
3. https://www.switcheko.com/product/raw-jute-fibre
4. https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=22090

References:

1. https://textilelearner.net/
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3. Textiletrainer.com
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Mazharul Islam Kiron

Founder & Editor of Textile Learner. He is a Textile Consultant, Blogger & Entrepreneur. Mr. Kiron is working as a textile consultant in several local and international companies. He is also a contributor of Wikipedia.

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