Studies of cultivation and utilization of Kenaf to activate the Japanese mountainous villages

红麻(HiBiscus canadinus L.)是在高知的一个山村里种植的。按烘箱干重计算，每公顷收获产量超过15吨。这表明，红麻即使在日本也是一种很有希望的工业植物资源。制浆实验表明，草酸铵预处理后的碱法蒸煮可以在常压下制得极高粘度的红麻皮浆。该工艺可应用于中小型纸浆厂，可在种植现场进行设计。此外，红麻叶中含有木槿酸，导致红麻叶的pH值较低(2~3)。考虑到树叶的蛋白质含量很高，有望用作动物饲料和青贮饲料。对红麻芯进行了低温碳化处理，获得了高质量的脱硫剂。结果表明，即使在日本山区，红麻也可以加工成系列产品。

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannadinus L.) was cultivated at a mountainous village in Kochi. Harvested yield was more than 15 tons per hectare by oven dry weight. This indicates that kenaf can be a hopeful industrial plant resources even in Japan.The pulping experiments showed that very high viscosity kenaf bast pulp can be made at normal pressure by soda pulping after anmmonium oxalate pretreatment. This process could be applied to small to medium pulp mill which is expected to be designed at the site of cultivation.It was also found that kenaf leaves contain Hibiscus acid which lead to the low pH (2〜3) of kenaf leaves. Taking into consideration of high protein content of the leaves, they are expected to be used as animal food and silage.Kenaf bast was treated for nonwoven fabrics. Kenaf core was treated for hight quality absorbent by low temperature carbonization.Above results show that kenaf can be processed to a series of products even in the Japanese mountainous villages.