Yarn and textile fibre production from liquorice-root

Abstract

This invention relates to a method of obtaining yarn from liquorice-root. It relates to the production of 100% liquorice-root fibre yarn from fibres obtained from the liquorice-root prepared for yam spinning by pre-treatment, and to the production of yarn containing at least 0.10% and at most 99.90% liquorice-root fibre by weight.

Description

[0001] YARN AND TEXTILE FIBRE PRODUCTION FROM LIQUORICE-ROOT

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] This invention relates to a method of obtaining yarn from liquorice-root. It relates to 100% liquorice fibre yam from fibres obtained from liquorice-root prepared for spinning by pretreatment, and it relates to the production of yarn containing at least 0.10% and at most 99.90% liquorice-root fibre by weight.

[0004] Yarn produced from liquorice fibres can be used in the production of conventional textile products such as clothing and home textiles as well as technical textiles for fields such as medical, automotive, filtration and construction.

[0005] STATE OF THE ART

[0006] There are studies in the literature where liquorice-root fibres are used as supplements in composite production and its extract is used as a natural dye in the textile industry. However, there is no approach to the related invention. When a few examples are examined, for example;

[0007] In patent CN105926095 A, various plant extracts were used in the socks produced for heel -foot cracks, and one of them is liquorice extract, but there is no expression regarding liquorice fibres and obtaining yarn from these fibres.

[0008] In the CN107366161A patent, antibacterial finishing agent was created with plant extracts similar to the other. One of these is liquorice. A patent was granted on its application to polyester fabric.

[0009] When the patent numbered CN111394818A is examined, regenerated cellulose fibre can be obtained from any cellulosic source. Here, not liquorice-root fibres but all parts of liquorice are chemically melted and regenerated fibre is extracted. The chemical processes given for the process are to create a chemical fibre extraction solution from liquorice. It does not include a process for fibre separation or fibre processing.

[0010] No studies on the subject of the invention in question, i.e. obtaining yam from liquorice-root, were found in the literature and patent database systems.

[0011] BACKGROUND AND DEFINITION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The said invention overcomes the disadvantages described in the state of the art and meets the requirements.

[0013] Since yarn production was made from liquorice-root fibres for the first time in the world, there are no domestic or foreign companies producing in this field, therefore, a product that can be used in many different fields has emerged.

[0014] The invention relates to a method of obtaining yam from liquorice-root. It relates to the production of yarn with 100% liquorice fibre yarn from fibres obtained from liquorice prepared for yarn spinning by pre-treatment, wherein the yarn contains at least 0, 10% and at most 99,90% liquorice-root fibre by weight.

[0015] Liquorice is a plant that is resistant to arid and semi-arid climatic conditions and can grow in all kinds of soils and is suitable for dry agriculture. In this respect, it will be a sustainable fibre source that can be grown in harsh climatic conditions. Liquorice root is used in tobacco, medicine, cosmetics and food industry. The most common area where liquorice root is used worldwide is tobacco industry with 75%. In the tobacco industry, liquorice-root is used for making cigarette and cigar paper, chewing tobacco, cigarettes, cigars, snuff tobacco and flavouring nicotine-free cigarettes. The use of liquorice root in tobacco industry increases carbon emission as it causes carbon dioxide (CO2) production. By using the liquorice plant, which can grow on its own, without water and without the use of pesticides in a large part of the world and in our country, in yam production as textile fibre, it will be possible to use the liquorice plant in a more effective and high added value area that reduces carbon emissions.

[0016] Since the raw material in textile is fibre, the basis of sustainability studies is based on the sustainability of fibre production. In this context, studies are carried out to find new textile fibre resources as well as studies for more efficient use of existing textile fibre resources. With the invention, liquorice root, which is suitable for arid and semi-arid climatic conditions and can grow without irrigation and without pesticides, can be used as an organic, healthy and sustainable raw material source. The invention will make a great contribution to the world scientific literature and the textile industry through the information it provides on the method and technology of yarn production from liquorice root fibres. In addition, it will provide a contribution that can change the classification of plant fibres, which are divided into 4 main groups as seed, bast (stem), leaf and fruit fibres, to be referred to as Group 5 root fibres. Liquorice root fibres have the potential to be equivalent to flax and hemp fibres. Considering the fact that it is cheaper than flax fibre and its production possibilities and quantity are more, hemp fibre requires irrigated agriculture and does not grow everywhere, liquorice root will be more advantageous in terms of acquisition and cost.

[0017] DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] This invention relates to obtaining textile fibre from liquorice root by mechanical, biological, enzymatic and chemical methods and producing yarn with the obtained fibre, characterised in that the liquorice root is treated by mechanical, chemical and biological processes and the yarn consisting of 100% liquorice fibre from the fibres obtained as a result thereof and the yarn comprises at least 0.10% - at most 99.90% liquorice root textile fibre by weight.

[0019] Liquorice, Glycyrrhiza glabra, is a perennial plant widespread in the Mediterranean, Eastern Europe, Central and Eastern Asia, Siberia and Mongolia. Liquorice is a perennial herbaceous plant from the legume family (Fabaceae), growing up to 1 m in height, with pinnate leaves 7 to 15 cm long, ovate or elliptic, consisting of 9 / 15 leaflets, and bluish at the top, purple and whitish flowers at the bottom. The liquorice fruit is a non-edible legume 7 to 10 cm long and contains several seeds. The fruits may be bare or hairy. The bare fruit is called ‘glabra’ and the hairy fruit is called ‘glandulifera’. The root of the liquorice plant is in the form of a cylindrical rod with a diameter of 0.5-2.5 cm and can reach up to 8 metres in length 40-60 cm below the soil. It has a soft fibrous root structure. The bark colour of the root is dark-light brown and the inner part is yellow.

[0020] The industrially used parts of liquorice plant are roots and rhizomes. Roots and rhizomes removed from the soil are cut and dried and used. Liquorice root has a fibrous structure, a characteristic odour and a sweet taste. Liquorice is used commercially in two different forms as root and extract. Liquorice is usually harvested from 3- to 4-year-old plants. The long brown roots are separated and dried in the sun. The dried roots are cut in 6-10-15 and 18 cm sizes for different needs and demands. They are peeled and packaged upon request. Shorter roots and rhizomes are chopped and then liquorice extract is obtained by steam extraction. It is sold as powder or solid block. Apart from the food and pharmaceutical industries, liquorice plant and root have also been used in beverage, cigarette, paper, paint and composite materials. Although liquorice root is used in many sectors such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food and chemistry, the most common area where liquorice root is used worldwide is the tobacco industry with a rate of 75%. The largest liquorice processing companies in the world are located in China and the USA. While the trade share of liquorice in China is 60 billion dollars, it is 42 billion dollars in the USA. According to 2019 Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) data, liquorice production worldwide was approximately 9,924,808 tonnes. The distribution area of 9,924,808 tonnes of liquorice production was 799,703 ha. In 2018, 9,558,308 tonnes of production was recorded in an area of 784,734 ha. In 2017, 8,843,815 tonnes were produced on 759,862 ha and in 2016, 9,002,144 tonnes were produced on 757,596 ha. In the last five years, its distribution area has expanded and the amount of production has gradually increased. Especially its use in beverage, pharmaceutical, food and tobacco industries worldwide has increased its demand.

[0021] The technical details of the production of the invention are as follows;

[0022] This invention relates to obtaining textile fibre from liquorice root by mechanical, biological, enzymatic and chemical methods and yam produced with the obtained textile fibre;

[0023] The liquorice root is cut in desired lengths (5-10-15-20-30-40-50 cm etc.). The cut liquorice particles are separated into fibres by mechanical processes. The liquorice root separated into fibres is kept in water for 1 day and then filtered. The soaking process can be repeated more than 1 time in order for the colour and active substances in the liquorice root to pass into the water completely. Soaking in water can be done at least 1 time and at most 5 times for 1 day each. The strained liquorice fibres can be spun by at least one of the following processes;

[0024] - Dew Retting: The shredded liquorice root fibres are laid and kept in areas with high humidity. The fibres are easily separated from each other by the decomposition of woody tissues with low resistance as a result of the fermentation with sunlight and air humidity and the dissolution of the adhesive substances between the cells. Can be processed for 1 to 15 weeks.

[0025] - Water Retting: Shredded liquorice root fibres are kept in streams or ponds for 1 to 10 weeks to separate the fibres by fermentation.

[0026] - Enzyme Retting: Shredded liquorice root fibres are treated with at least one of the enzymes polygalacturonase, pectinase, hemicellulase, amylase, cellulase, laccase, xenylase at 0-200 °C for 1 min to 48 hours to separate the fibres.

[0027] - Chemical Retting: The fibres are separated by treating the shredded liquorice root fibres with chemicals such as oxalic acid, sodium hydroxide, soda, sodium carbonate, sodium sulphite, hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid, etc. in a hot or cold environment under normal or high pressure.

[0028] The above process steps can be performed in the same way for pieces cut into roots without being mechanically separated into fibres. The liquorice roots are made to be spun by at least one of the steps of dew retting, water retting, enzyme retting and chemical retting after the soaking-draining process. The fibre obtained as a result of all these processes has a production method that includes Ring and Open-End Yarn and Airjet (Vortex) PROCESS STEPS.

[0029] The properties of the produced yarn are as follows;

[0030] 1. 100% liquorice root fibre ring yarn produced from liquorice fibres

[0031] 1. The yarn produced in ring spinning contains at least 0.10% and at most 99.90% liquorice fibre by weight and the rest of the yam contains cotton, viscose, acetate, casein, modal, tencel, linen, hemp, jute, sisal, ramie, silk, wool, polyester, polyurethane, polyamide, acrylic, modacrylic, polyvinylchloride, polyvinylalcohol, polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene fibres and at least one of the recycled fibres of these fibres

[0032] 2. Production of open-end yam with 100% liquorice root fibres from liquorice fibres

[0033] 2. The yarn produced in open-end spinning contains at least 0.10 % and at most 99.90 % liquorice fibre by weight and the rest of the yarn contains cotton, viscose, acetate, casein, modal, tencel, flax, hemp, jute, sisal, ramie, silk, wool, polyester, polyurethane, polyamide, acrylic, modacrylic, polyvinylchloride, polyvinylalcohol, polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene fibres and at least one of the recycled fibres of these fibres

[0034] 3. Production of 100% liquorice root fibre Aiijet (Vortex) yarn from liquorice fibres

[0035] 4. A yam produced from liquorice textile fibre as claimed in claim 9, characterised in that; The yarn produced in Aiijet (Vortex) spinning contains at least 0.10% and at most 99.90% liquorice root fibre by weight and the rest of the yarn contains cotton, viscose, acetate, casein, modal, tencel, linen, hemp, jute, sisal, ramie, silk, wool, polyester, polyurethane, polyamide, acrylic, modacrylic, polyvinylchloride, polyvinylalcohol, polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene fibres and at least one of the recycled fibres of these fibres.

Claims

CLAIMS1. This invention relates to a method of obtaining textile fibre from liquorice root, characterised in that it comprises the following process steps: a. cutting the liquorice root, b. soaking the liquorice root in water to allow the active substances to pass into the water, c. making the strained liquorice fibres spinnable by at least one of the following processes,- dew retting- water retting- enzyme retting- chemical retting d. production of yam by Ring or Open-End or Airjet (Vortex) Yarn production method with the fibre obtained as a result of all these processes.

2. The method for obtaining textile fibres from liquorice root as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that;- wherein the liquorice root particles cut between step a and step b are separated into fibres by mechanical processes.

3. The method of obtaining textile fibre from liquorice root as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the liquorice in root form or the liquorice root particles cut between step a and step b are separated into fibres by mechanical processes and then soaked in water for not less than one and not more than five times for at least 1 day in step b and then strained.

4. The method of obtaining textile fibres from liquorice root as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the liquorice root fibres which are decomposed by dew retting in step c are laid out and kept in areas with high humidity, treated for 1 to 15 weeks for the decomposition of woody tissues with low resistance as a result of fermentation with sunlight and air humidityand for the separation of fibres from each other by dissolving the adhesive substances between the cells.

5. The method of obtaining textile fibres from the liquorice root as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that in step c, the liquorice root fibres are kept in streams or ponds for 1 to 10 weeks and the fibres are separated by fermentation.

6. The method of obtaining textile fibres from the liquorice root as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that in step c, in the enzyme retting, the shredded liquorice root fibres are treated with at least one of the enzymes polygalacturonase, pectinase, hemicellulase, amylase, cellulase, laccase, xenylase in the range of pH 1-14 at 0-200 °C from 1 min to 48 hours.

7. The method of obtaining textile fibres from the liquorice as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that in step c, in the chemical retting, the liquorice root fibres are treated with chemicals such as oxalic acid, sodium hydroxide, soda, sodium carbonate, sodium sulphite, hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid in a normal or high pressure hot or cold environment.

8. This invention relates to a yam made from fibres obtained from the liquorice root by mechanical, biological, enzymatic and chemical pre-treatments as claimed in claims 1,2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, characterised in that the textile fibre consists of 100% liquorice root fibres.

9. Yam produced from fibres obtained by mechanical, biological, enzymatic and chemical pre-treatments as claimed in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, characterised in that the yam comprises at least 0,10 % and at most 99,90 % liquorice textile fibres by weight.

10. Yam produced from liquorice textile fibre as claimed in claim 9 , characterised in that the yarn produced in ring spinning comprises at least 0.10% and at most 99.90% liquorice root fibre by weight and the rest of the yarn comprises cotton, viscose, acetate, casein, modal, tencel, linen, hemp, jute, sisal, ramie, silk, wool, polyester, polyurethane, polyamide, acrylic,modacrylic, polyvinylchloride, polyvinylalcohol, polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene fibres and at least one of the recycled fibres of these fibres.

11. Yam produced from liquorice textile fibre as claimed in claim 9 , characterised in that the yarn produced in open-end spinning comprises at least 0.10% and at most 99.90% liquorice fibre by weight and the rest of the yarn comprises cotton, viscose, acetate, casein, modal, tencel, linen, hemp, jute, sisal, ramie, silk, wool, polyester, polyurethane, polyamide, acrylic, modacrylic, polyvinylchloride, polyvinylalcohol, polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene fibres and at least one of the recycled fibres of these fibres.

12. Yam produced from liquorice textile fibre as claimed in claim 9, characterised in that the yam produced in Airjet (Vortex) spinning comprises at least 0.10% and at most 99.90% liquorice root fibre by weight and the rest of the yarn comprises cotton, viscose, acetate, casein, modal, tencel, linen, hemp, jute, sisal, ramie, silk, wool, polyester, polyurethane, polyamide, acrylic, modacrylic, polyvinylchloride, polyvinylalcohol, polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene fibres and at least one of the recycled fibres of these fibres.