Which are grades of sisal Fibre
Sisal in Tanzania is graded according to the sisal industry regulations of which the following grades are Identified:
APPROVED GRADES BY TANZANIA SISAL BOARD
(1) Grade 1-length, from 90cm upwards, free of defective decortications,
properly brushed, free of tow cutting and dust free whose colour may vary from creamy white to cream.
(2) Grade A-length, between 75cm and 90cm upwards, free of defective
decortications, properly brushed, free of tow, cuttings and dust, free of tousled and bunchy ends whose colour may be slightly yellowish.
(3) Grade 2-length, between 75cm and 90cm, free of defective
decortications, properly brushed, free of tows, cuttings and dust, free of tousled and bunchy ends whose colour may vary from creamy
white to cream.
(4) Grade 3L- length minimum 90cm, free of defective
decortications, properly brushed free of tows, cuttings and dust, free of tousled and bunchy ends whose colour may be slightly yellowish.
(5) Grade 3S- length between 60cm and 90cm, free of defective
decortications, properly brushed, free of tows, cuttings and dust, free tousled and bunch ends whose colour may vary from creamy white to slightly yellowish.
- Grade UG (or R) length from 60cm to 90cm, free of defective decortications, properly bushed, free of tow, cuttings and dust, free of tousled and bunchy ends. Colour may vary from white to yellowish and light green.
- Grade UF-length from 60cm upwards, slightly barky runners and harshness are permissible. Brushed and unbrushed fibre is allowed. Free of dust and undecorticated barks. Colour may be blemished, greenish, yellowish, brownish due to delayed decortication and blackish but not rotten.
- Grade S.C.W.F – Short Clean white fibre: Length between 45cm and 60cm. Free of defective decortication, properly brushed, free of tow, dust free tousled and bunchy ends colour may vary from creamy white to cream.
- TOW 1- Pieces of fibre that comes out behind the brushing machines. Entirely free of fine fibre, dust, sweeping knots and undercoticated barks. Colour may vary from creamy white to cream.
- TOW 2 –Pieces of fibre that comes out behind the brushing machine entirely free of line fibre, dust, sweeping knots and undercorticated barks. Colour may be yellowish, greenish, and brownish.
- Flume Tow – Fibre cuttings extracted from the flume channel and dried.
- UHDS – length 60cm upwards and its fibre, which comes from unwashed hand, decorticated sisal. It can be brushed or unbrushed and colour may be blemished, greenish, brownish and blackish but not rotten.
- Chopped fibre-these are short fibres from the hammer mill or any processing machine, length may vary according to specification, free of dust and barks. Color may be as per above grades but should not be dark or rotten.
