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