Retting

Retting is a stage in the manufacturing of vegetable fibers, especially the bast fibers. It is a process that employs water and microbial action to separate the bast fibers from the woody core (the xylem), and sometimes from the epidermis as well.

In "water retting", plant stems such as flax, jute, hemp or kenaf are submerged in water, and soaked for a period of approximately 20 days to loosen the fibers from the other components of the stem. Retting can also be done by letting the cut crop stand in the fields in the wet Fall, called "dew retting". In either approach, bacterial action attacks pectin and lignin, freeing the cellulose fibres. The stems must be monitored during retting to avoid excessive degradation of the fibres, making it a very labor-intensive process.

Once retting is complete, the stems are then removed and washed, where they are typically subjected to mechanical processing to remove the soft tissue and then dried so that all that remains are the fibres.

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Retting — Ret ting, n. 1. The act or process of preparing flax for use by soaking, maceration, and kindred processes; also called {rotting}. See {Ret}. Ure. [1913 Webster] 2. A place where flax is retted; a rettery. Ure. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
retting — ▪ fibre separation process process employing the action of bacteria and moisture on plants to dissolve or rot away much of the cellular tissues and gummy substances surrounding bast fibre bundles, thus facilitating separation of the fibre… … Universalium
retting — ret v. (about hemp or flax fibers) soften by soaking in water, prepare by dampening with water … English contemporary dictionary
retting — present part of ret … Useful english dictionary
Water-retting — Water ret Wa ter ret , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Water retted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Water retting}.] To ret, or rot, in water, as flax; to water rot. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
dew-retting — dewˈ retting noun The process of rotting away the gummy part of hemp or flax by exposure on the grass to dew and rain • • • Main Entry: ↑dew … Useful english dictionary
rotting — Retting Ret ting, n. 1. The act or process of preparing flax for use by soaking, maceration, and kindred processes; also called {rotting}. See {Ret}. Ure. [1913 Webster] 2. A place where flax is retted; a rettery. Ure. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Flax — For other uses, see Flax (disambiguation). Flax Flax plant Scientific classification Kingdom … Wikipedia
Jute cultivation — Jute is one of the most important natural fibers after cotton in terms of cultivation and usage. Cultivation is dependent on the climate, season, and soil. Almost 85% of the world s jute cultivation is concentrated in the Ganges delta. This… … Wikipedia
Textile manufacturing — is one of the oldest human industries. The oldest known textiles date back to about 5000 B.C. In order to make textiles, the first requirement is a source of fiber from which a yarn can be made, primarily by spinning. The yarn is processed by… … Wikipedia

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Retting

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