What is retting of fibres?
Answers
Retting is a process employing the action of micro-organisms and moisture on plants to dissolve or rot away much of the cellular tissues and pectins surrounding bast-fibre bundles, and so facilitating separation of the fibre from the stem.
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It is the process of separation of bast fibres or phloem fibres and is controlled microbial decomposition of plant material. For eample, retting of flax and hemp is used in making of linen, jute and rope. For this the stems are kept in water tanks for some days. The fibres are held to gather by pectic substance which is decomposed by anaerobic bacteria. This process is carried out by various bacteria like Clostridium butyricum, C. felsineum C. pectninovorum (anaerobic retting) and Pseudomonas fluorescence (dew retting)