Physical and Chemical Properties of Jute Fiber

Jute Fiber

Jute is a bast fiber. Additionally, the fibers that come from the inner bark of the plants are known as bast fiber. Basically, different types of natural and man-made fibers are available in the world. So it is essential to know the properties of fibers because, without knowing them, it is not possible to separate one fiber from others. Every fiber has its own physical and chemical properties.

Physical and Chemical Properties of Jute Fiber

Jute is a natural fiber. It has some physical and chemical properties. The following properties are the properties of jute. They are-

Physical Properties of Jute Fiber

Jute is a cellulosic fiber; indeed, it has some physical properties. The following are the physical properties of jute: They are-

• Ultimate length: 1.5 – 4 mm
• Ultimate diameter: 0.015 – 0.020 mm
• No. of ultimates in X-section: 6 – 10
• Fibers length: 5 – 12 ft.
• Color: white, off white, yellow, brown, grey, and golden.
• Strength (Tenacity): 3–4 g/den
• Elongation: 1.7% at the break
• Specific Gravity: 1.5
• Moisture Regain (MR%): 13.75%
• Resiliency: Bad
• Dimensional Stability: Good
• Abrasion Resistance: Average
• Effect of Light and Heat: Average
• Effect of Microorganisms: Good (better than Cotton)

Chemical Properties of Jute Fiber

Jute fiber contains cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and other components in its chemical composition. The following are the chemical properties of jute fiber. They are-

• Effect of Acids: Jute fiber is easily damaged by hot dilute acids and concentrated cold acids consequently.
• Effect of Alkalis: Fibers are damaged by strong alkalis. As a result, fibers lose weight when heated with caustic soda.
• Effect of Bleaches: It is strongly resistant to bleaching agents (such as H₂O₂, NaOcl, Naclo₂, Na₂O_2, CH₃COOH, KMnO₄, etc.)
• Effect of Light: Color changes slightly in the presence of sunlight. It happens due to the presence of lignin in fiber.
• Effect of Mildew: The prevention ability of jute fiber is better than Cotton and Linen.
• Dyeing ability: easy to dye. Also, basic dyes are used to color jute fiber.

Overview

Basically, Jute fibers are composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. It is harder than cotton or other fibers. Because of the presence of lignin in its structure. When the emulsion is used to make it soft for spinning,. It is weaker than other fibers. Its extension ability is less than that of other natural fibers.

The physical and chemical properties of jute can vary depending on the region of cultivation. In fact, atmospheric conditions and temperature have a great effect on the properties of jute. The properties of seeds also have an effect on the properties of jute. However, recently, different types of changes have been brought to the properties of jute seeds. Recently, the genome sequence of jute was invented by a scientist in Bangladesh. So in the future, we will get such types of jute that are better than the present ones.

In sum, different types of machinery and chemicals are available to evaluate the properties of jute. So, now it will be easy to distinguish jute fiber from other fibers.