The Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI), an agency under the Department of Science and Technology (DoST), introduced a set of tropical fiber technologies that can improve quality and at the same time, cut production cost by up to 35 percent in the pretreatment of abaca, banana, and pineapple fibers, said PTRI Director Carlos Tomboc.

Tomboc said that with the improved fiber degumming technology, fibers that undergo degumming will reduce the plants’ glue-like or gum content. The gum content refers to the total wax, oil, lignin and other hemi cellulosic material found in plants.

The amount of gum left after processing is referred to as the residual gum content. This affects the fineness of fibers, which determines the success of using these fibers in fine, woven textile structures.

The improved fiber degumming technology which reduces the gum content makes the fibers clean and easier to spin.