Fiber separation process

Abstract

A method for separating the long outer bast fibers from the short woody inner core fibers of herbaceous fiber producing plants which includes the steps of requiring that such plants harvested at a certain cut length are processed through a first and second stage core separator, each of which includes a rotating spiked cylinder and a set of angled moving conveyors for coarse separation of the bast and core fibers; then processed through a first and second incline core separator each of which include a series of rotating spiked cylinders provided at an inclined angle; then introduced into a single saw separator; then passed through a jet air separator having an adjustable blade therein; and finally, run through a four cylinder fiber cleaner. Each of these steps provides further and more complete separation of the woody core fibers from the longer bast fibers so that by the time the bast fibers exit the four cylinder cleaner they are over ninety-eight percent (98%) free of the woody core fibers. The core fibers which exit the various separators of the process are all channeled into a hammermill for grinding, and then transported into a large tilted rotating screened core fiber sizing drum.