A new method for bio-degumming in less-water environment: Solid-state-fermentation progressive bio-degumming

Water saving and environmental protection is the key objective for material process. Bast fiber like flax and ramie was considered as sustainable resource for fiber. Degumming was the first and necessary process for abstracting fiber. Although bio-degumming was seen as energy saving and environmentally friendly method compared with conventional chemical process, considerable amount of water can be consumed and convert to waste water in traditional bio-degumming of bast fiber. In this investigation, the approach of bio-degumming was improved by combining of solid-state fermentation (SSF) method with deconstructing biomass recalcitrance, and a novel degumming method of solid-state-fermentation progressive bio-degumming (SPB) process was constructed for abstracting bast fiber with less water. The bio-recalcitrance of flax bast was break using cryogenic treatment and then the gum in flax bast was degraded with solid-state fermentation. Compared with conventional chemical degumming, more than 95% of Chemicals and 55% of water can be save in process of flax fiber with SPB method. Moreover, high quality flax fiber can be obtained in this SPB process and the degummed fiber have higher breaking strength (1.22 Mpa) and bigger molecular weight (105.7 kg/mol) than that obtained by chemical method (0.99 Mpa and 86.1 kg/mol). This SPB method also have obviously advantage that traditional bio-degumming base on liquid fermentation in consumption of water and production of waste water. Considering the mild temperature, the approach of SPB may provide a low-carbon and energy-saving technology for extracting fiber from bast plant. Thus, the SPB method presented in this study propose a novel strategy for process bast fiber in more green and sustainable way.