Thermal extraction of pectin from the stem bark of eco-wood hibiscus and its application to cashmere fabrics

In this study, natural plant pectin was extracted from the stem bark of Hibiscus mutabilis and utilized to finish knitted cashmere fabrics. The performance differences between the fabrics before and after finishing were investigated. The results demonstrate that the extraction solution, comprising hibiscus stem bark tartaric acid at a pH of 2, extraction time of 90 minutes, and a material-liquid ratio of 1/30, yielded pectin at a yield of up to 13.24%. This yield is not as high as that of tartaric acid. Following the finishing of the knitted cashmere fabric with hibiscus pectin, a notable enhancement in the fabric's antibacterial and UV properties was observed. Following the application of a 7.5% hibiscus pectin solution, the transmission rate of UV light with a wavelength of less than 290 nm exhibited a tendency towards zero, while the ultraviolet protection factor value reached 43. Furthermore, the bacterial inhibition rate of Staphylococcus aureus was observed to reach 94.571%.