MUMBAI, India, April 17 -- Intellectual Property India has published a patent application (202541068234 A) filed by Anna University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on July 17, 2025, for 'a three-step treatment process for enhancing flexibility and fineness of kenaf fibres.'
Inventor(s) include R Neelakandan; and Cherin Perci K.
The application for the patent was published on April 17, under issue no. 16/2026.
According to the abstract released by the Intellectual Property India: "The present invention discloses a novel three-step treatment process for enhancing the flexibility, fineness, and surface smoothness of kenaf fibres. The first step involves alkaline delignification (1) using NaOH, which disrupts the lignin structure and removes non-cellulosic components, increasing fiber purity. In the second step (2), H2O2 is applied to further degrade residual lignin, enhancing the whiteness of the fibers. The final step (3) consists of alcoholization by boiling the bleached fibers in a 4% aqueous IPA solution at 80 C for 60 minutes, resulting in improved fiber flexibility and softness. Structural and chemical modifications are confirmed using analytical techniques such as SEM (), FTIR (Fig 3), XRD (Fig 4), and TGA (Fig 5), which indicate increased cellulose content and enhanced physical properties. The treated kenaf fibres exhibit superior fineness, flexibility, and smoothness, making them suitable for use in textiles, biodegradable composites, and eco-friendly industrial applications. The process is efficient, scalable, and environmentally sustainable."
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