Thermal degradation of flax and jute fibers

The thermal degradation of jute and flax fibers under temperatures between 170 and 210 degreesC for a maximum of 120 min was studied in detail. This a rticle will analyze the effects of the thermal exposure on mechanical prope rties (tenacity) as well as on fiber fine structure (degree of polymerizati on and degree of crystallinity). It was found that temperatures below 170 d egreesC only slightly affects fiber properties, while temperatures above 17 0 degreesC significantly dropped tenacity and degree of polymerization. Bec ause of chain scissions, a slight increase in degree of crystallinity was o bserved. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.