Other Fibre Sources

Other important fibre sources include flax shaves, bamboo, papyrus, and reed stalks. There are two varieties of flax one is for fibre and the other is for linseed oil production. Bamboo is an important source of raw material for fibreboards in tropical countries. Most varieties of bamboo are fast-growing and produce strong fibres particleboards have also been made from bamboo. 

Papyrus is used in making hard board in East Africa. Insulation boards and plastic-bonded boards have also been prepared from reeds. Other miscellaneous fibres include banana leaves, grasses, palm, sorghum while many fibres have been used successfully in the laboratory to produce boards, most of these materials have not been used commercially because of cost or other factors [4]. 

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Shinoj, S., R. Visvanathan, and S. Panigrahi, Towards industrial utilization of oil palm fibre Physical and dielectric characterization of Hnear low density polyethylene composites and comparison with other fibre sources. Biosyst. Eng.106, 378-388 (2010). 

Cellulase is not produced in the human digestive system. Cellulolytic enzyme preparations obtained from A. niger or other fungal sources are available, and it is thought that their ingestion may improve overall digestion, particularly in relation to high-fibre diets. 

In other studies, the effects of high-fibre diets on blood glucose levels were generally felt to be rather small (Simpson et al., 1981), and it was noted that postprandial blood glucose levels are influenced only when fibre content is fivefold higher than that of the normal British diet, whereby the effects of the dietary fibre source on carbohydrate metabolism seem to depend on the composition of the source. 

However, there are potential risks associated with using bamboo as a polymer source for rayon since there is currently a lack of transparency in the supply chain. It is not always clear which type of bamboo is used for fibre, where it is grown, how it is cultivated, how it is harvested, and so forth. To date, there is no known organic certification of bamboo. The process to make bamboo viscose rayon fibre is the same process that is used to produce viscose/rayon from any other plant source. The cellulose is extracted from the bamboo and then mixed with chemicals to convert the plant pulp into textile quality fibre. This process can be very polluting unless it is carefully controlled, and can be influenced by the age and condition of the equipment as well as by whether there is any by-product recycling or effluent treatment. Note that in most countries the fibre cannot be called bamboo, only rayon or viscose from bamboo (textileexchange.org). 

Marek, J., Anonov, V., Bjelkova, M., Smirous, P., Fischer, H., Janosik, S., 2008. Enzymatic bioprocessing—new tool of extensive fibre source. In International Conference on Flax and Other Bast Plants, 21-23 July, Saskatoon, Canada. 

It was claimed i that Zirpro wool fabric assemblies showed a relatively longer time to reach pain (first degree burn) and blister (second degree burn) thresholds, as well as the longer pain alarm time - the time available to the wearer to withdraw from the flame heat source before serious injuries occur. It is also claimed that, compared with some other fibres including... 

The proeess to make viseose or rayon fibre fi om bamboo is the same proeess used to produee viseose/rayon from any other plant source. The eellulose is extraeted from the bamboo, and then mixed with chemicals to convert the plant pulp into textile quality fibre. This proeess can be very polluting unless it is earefully eontrolled, and can be influenced by the age and eondition of the equipment as well as whether there is any by-product recycling or effluent treatment. 

Use of renewable feedstocks is most likely where they can compete economically with petrochemically derived materials. This already happens in many areas, and it is sometimes forgotten that even in a world that seems to be dominated by chemicals and materials from fossil carbon and other non-renewable sources, industry already uses annually 19.8 MT of vegetable oils, 22.5 MT starch, 28.4 MT of plant fibres and 42.5 MT of wood pulp. These all compete on price and performance with synthetic alternatives. 

The incoming light reflects from the end surface of a fibre, which is caused by the difference in refractive indexes of a fibre, a light source and a gap between them. Such losses are usually small as compared with other losses occurring in the system. The losses caused by different numerical apertures cannot be avoided. As higher NA of the fibre, as lower losses of... 

Sulphuric acid is the largest volume chemical in the world with an annual production of about 180 mill, t/year which is used primarily for phosphate fertilizers, petroleum alkylation, copper ore leaching and in smaller quantities for a number of other purposes (pulp and paper, other acids, aluminium, titanium dioxide, plastics, synthetic fibres, dyestuffs, sulphonation etc.). The major sulphur sources for sulphuric acid production are sulphur recovered from hydrocarbon processing in the refineries and from desulphurisation of natural gas, SO2 from metallurgical smelter operations, spent alkylation acid, and to a minor extent mined elemental sulphur and pyrites. A simplified flow sheet of a modem double-absorption plant for sulphuric acid production from sulphur is shown in Fig. 1. 

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