Assessment of coconut fibers for textile applications

ABSTRACT Brazil is the fourth larger producer in coconut fruit in the world. However, the industry processes only a small portion of coconut byproducts, which have caused serious environmental problems. The purpose of this article is to test an alternative for the recovery of coconut byproduct. In a series of experiments, recovered coconut fibers (coir) were treated to be employ in textile application. After initial classification and sampling, the fine coconut fibers were subjected to a simultaneous scouring and pre-bleaching process in a mild alkali solution together with hydrogen peroxide (...