A Facile Method to Manufacture the Sesamum Indicum Fibers by Glycolic Acid Assisted with Microwave

The <i>Sesamum indicum</i> bast contains more hemicellulose, lignin, and flaky parenchymal cells than the commonly used ramie bast, which are rigid for the degumming process. We explored a facile and greener method by using glycolic acid microwave-assisted treatment combined with alkaline treatment to effectively and low-cost prepare the high-quality <i>Sesamum indicum</i> single fibers. The chemical and physical properties of fibers were analyzed by chemical composition analysis, SEM, FTIR, XRD, TG, and GPC analysis. The residual gum content was decreased from 34.4% to 4.2%, resulting in a cleaner micro-surface of the <i>Sesamum indicum</i> fibers with increased cellulose crystallinity (75.2%–82.5%) and thermal stability (357°C–365°C). The fiber fineness (2.5 dtex) and breaking tenacity (4.9 cN/dtex) of the fibers produced by the novel treatment method exhibited the same level compared with the traditional two-step alkaline fibers. Besides, both the consumption of water and the chemicals was decreased compared with traditional degumming. This work provided a novel green and facile degumming method for processing the natural bast fibers.