Preliminary research on bamboo degumming with xylanase

The extraction of fibres from bamboo culm during the degumming process was performed with commercial xylanase. It is found that a combination of mild chemical pretreatment and enzymatic treatment is essential to achieve a high level of degumming, and better fibre separation. FTIR analysis of substances removed by enzyme treatment indicated that xylanase played an active role in the removal of non-cellulosic substances. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a relatively complete removal of gummy material from the surface of treated bamboo slices. On the basis of this investigation, it is suggested that the combination of mild chemical and enzymatic treatment is a promising method for bamboo degumming.