Bast and Grass Fibers

The lignocellulosic fibers are obtained from leaf, fruit, seed, bast, grass, agrowaste and wood. The novel lignocellulosic fibers of grass and bast origin have been discussed in this chapter. Some of the typical bast and grass fibers included here are those obtained from Isora, Banana, Vakka, Date Palm, Thespesia Lampas, Okra, Bamboo, Bagasse, etc. Most of these plants are not cultivated for fibers, but for food or other products. Fiber extraction is a secondary advantage of these fibers, so they do not disturb the food chain. The origin, extraction techniques, subsequent processes, composition analysis and properties of these fibers are detailed in subsequent sections.