Physical and chemical properties of water-retted fibers extracted from different locations in corn husks

Corn is the most commonly produced crop in the world producing immense agricultural residues, including corn husks. In search for handling corn husks as a fiber source, the quality of fibers extracted from different parts of corn husks by water retting is investigated. The effects of the location of the leaves in the husks and the part of the leaves where the fibers were extracted from on the mechanical, physical, and chemical characteristics of the fibers have been investigated. The coarseness of extracted fibers decreases from outer to the inner leaves in the husk and from the lower to the upper parts of the leaves. Breaking tenacity, breaking force, and elongation at break values of the fibers increase from the upper to the lower parts of the husk leaves. The fibers from the lower parts of the leaves showed greater hemicellulose, pectin, moisture content, and water absorption capacity compared to fibers obtained from the upper part of the corn husk leaves. With superior mechanical properties and lower moisture content and water absorption fibers from the lower parts of corn husk leaves may be considered advantageous for technical use such as in fiberboards. The fibers from the upper portion that are finer and can hold more moisture are more advantageous in terms of comfort aspects. The mechanical properties of the obtained water-retted fibers have been found to be superior to the corn husk fibers of prior studies produced by alkalization. © 2016 Taylor & Francis