A review of bast fibres and their composites Part 4 ~ organisms and enzyme processes

Abstract

There is an urgent need to halt the degradation of the ecosystems on Earth. For the acquisition, modification and disposal of natural fibres and their composites, the use of organisms and the associated enzymes offers a promising route to sustainable composites. This would potentially reduce the required energy and use milder reaction conditions. This paper reviews the use of organisms and enzymes for (a) extraction of fibres from plant material (retting), (b) surface modification of fibres, and (c) end-of-life treatments, in the context of bast fibres and their composites. The use of enzyme processes at large scale is limited by the extended treatment times, costs of the enzymes and equipment, wastewater treatment and the current low level of adoption by industry.