Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
10884464 Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology 2014 5 Pages PDF
Abstract
Bast fibers (i.e. the phloem fibers of crops such as flax and hemp) have been used for millennia in textiles and cordage and are now promising feedstocks for the production of strong, light weight, renewable composite materials. Several factors limit the broad commercial application of bast fibers in composites, including: (i) variability of fiber properties, (ii) their poor adhesion with conventional resins, (iii) moisture absorption by natural fibers and (iv) cost of production, especially as this relates to extraction of high-quality fibers. These problems will be discussed in the context of fiber developmental biology and of potential solutions enabled by genomics and biotechnology.
Related Topics
Life Sciences Agricultural and Biological Sciences Agricultural and Biological Sciences (General)
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