Abstract:

The physical especially bending properties of jute fibres treated with dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) were studied in this work. To the knowledge of these authors, the influence of DMSO treatment on the prickle properties of jute fibres has not been investigated earlier. The results of the investigation indicate that 8 hours of DMSO treatment at 80 °C leads to a decrease in the equivalent bending modulus of up to 38.3%. This decrease was due to the swelling of fibrils and the removal of non-cellulosic materials. It is significant to improve the wear behaviour of jute fabrics. Suitable chemical treatment not only slenderised the jute fibres, but also removed the wax dramatically.