G. Henriksson et al., INFLUENCE OF CHELATING-AGENTS AND MECHANICAL PRETREATMENT ON ENZYMATIC RETTING OF FLAX, Textile research journal, 67(11), 1997, pp. 829-836
Adding chelating agents, i.e., oxalic acid and ethylenediamine-tetra-a
cetic acid (EDTA), substantially increases the retting effect on flax
by the commercial enzyme products Ultrazym and Flaxzyme (Novo Nordisk)
, as shown by scanning electron microscopy, release of reducing sugars
, and the Fried test. Degradation of pectin-rich citrus peel by these
enzymes also increases with the addition of oxalic acid and EDTA, whil
e citric acid has a low or insignificant effect. Oxalic acid at 50 mmo
l concentration reduces the amount of Flaxzyme required to effectively
ret flax stems, according to the Fried test, by a factor of about 50.
Retting with Flaxzyme and 50 mmol oxalic acid is completed in approxi
mately half the time at 45 degrees C, compared with that at 22 degrees
C. A mechanical pretreatment that crushes flax stems by pulling them
over a surface at a 90 degrees angle opens the flax structure and furt
her increases the efficiency of enzymatic retting. These procedures ap
pear to modify both the chemical and structural features of flax, and
they reduce the time as well as the amount of enzyme required to ret f
lax, therefore improving technical efficiency and economic attractiven
ess at the commercial level.