A novel fiber from Bletilla striata tuber: physical properties and application

Abstract

Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP) extracted from B. striata tuber, which is a traditional Chinese medicine, is used for preparing a fiber with mechanical properties through the environment-friendly method of phase inversion with ethanol as the nonsolvent. The prepared BSP fiber is woven into fabric with excellent flexibility, overcoming the considerable hardness of BSP membranes. The proposed simple method for preparing BSP fiber and fabric can enlarge the application field of the natural polysaccharide extracted from the B. striata tuber. The morphology, chemical structure, and water absorptivity of BSP fiber are characterized. The dense cross–section is beneficial for stress formation, which prevents fiber breakage during weaving. The chemical structure and water absorptivity are maintained after spinning using the phase inversion method. The weaving behavior of BSP fiber on a semiautomatic sample loom is studied, and 20-cm long BSP fabric is produced. The successful weaving of BSP fiber is significant for the design and fabrication of BSP products, which have excellent flexibility with potential application in the curing of skin wounds.