Ramie fibers in a comparison between chemical and microbiological retting proposed for application in biocomposites

Significant differences were observed between the two types of degumming in terms of yield and quality of the fibers. Even if the highest fiber yields were recorded with chemical retting, the performances of fibers modified by microbiological treatments were comparable with those of the composite prepared with fibers modified by chemical treatment. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed a good removal of non-cellulosic gummy material from the surface of ramie fibers. According to the mechanical properties, the ramie fibers obtained by both degumming processes, were suitable for use in PHAs composites. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.