Green degumming process of ramie fiber thermal effect and optimization

Ramie is a kind of natural fibers, it requires degumming process before it can be used as a raw material for various applications. The traditional treatment uses alkali, which is not an environmentally friendly process. In this paper, ramie fibers are degummed using sodium percarbonate, which causes no any negative environmental problems, and its decomposition, hydrogen peroxide, is a clear liquid, it can be used as an oxidizer, bleaching agent and antiseptics for surface treatment of ramie fibers. Effect of temperature and concentration of sodium percarbonate on the degumming process are studied theoretically and verified experimentally. Finally an optimal degumming process is suggested for maximal weight ratio of degummed ramie fiber to raw bast.