Pretreatment and Dying

Harvested sisal fibre contains hemicellulose, lignin and other residues that make it tough.

Alkaline Treatment method

I used Sodium hydroxide(NaOH) to treat the fibres. The treatment is widely used because it increases: ✔ tensile strength ✔ surface roughness ✔ fibre–matrix bonding ✔ removes lignin, hemicellulose, oils

Steps

1: Wash the fibre in warm water.

2: Weigh 30g of NaOH and dissolve in 1l water.

3: Soak sisal fibre in the solution for 15 minutes. Stir occassionaly.

4: Rinse thoroughly in running water

5: Shade dry completely

COATING

The treated dye fibre was then immersed in hibiscus dye bath for 18hrs.

Dye bath Preparation

1: Boil 100g of hibiscus leaves in 2l water

2: Seive the mixture and retain the liquid as our dye bath

3: Pour the dye bath in a wide basin and soak in the fibres. Stir occasionally.

4: Remove the fibres and shade dry.

Yarn Making

The dyed fibre was then transformed into a yarn and a rope.

Made a simple 5cm diameter belt

Acacia tannin

I sourced for acacia bark from a community based organization.

I also could access some acacia plant near our office.

The acacia bark is to be dried for at least 14 weeks before extracting its tannin to be used for the belt.