Sisal Fibre Extraction: Methods and Machine Development

Sisal is a leaf fibre of plant origin. Fibre is mainly obtained from the mature leaves of the plant Agave sisalana. Sisal fibre is mostly used in cordage industry for manufacturing of general and marine ropes, twine, sacking and carpet due to its great strength, better spinning characteristics and resistance to the action of saline water. Sisal fibre production in India is very low and domestic requirement of fibre is met by import. Sisal being xerophytic semi-perennial monocarp, it can be grown on all uncultivated waste lands, forest lands of rain-fed regions of the country. The plants are found wildly in many parts of the country, but are not utilized commercially for the fibre production. One of the major reasons is non- availability of suitable machine for fibre extraction. This paper discusses the methods of sisal fibre extraction and development of machine for small-scale sisal processing.