In this paper we study the compressibility of kapok fibrous assemblies via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image observations on kapok microstructures and measurements obtained from Kawabata Evaluation System (KES) compression testing. The assemblies, made of slightly carded kapok fibers, were treated in different levels of relative humidity (dry or wet) and pressure (0 or 100 kPa) conditions. The SEM images of the treated samples revealed that kapok fibers were initially hollow and circular, but could be crushed partially or totally to become thin ribbons after being pressed with a 100 kPa pressure. Over 80% of the fibers in the wet-pressure-treated assembly appeared to be crushed. In the KES testing, the compressional resilience, bulkiness and other parameters of the kapok assemblies were calculated from the compression curves. The results showed that the compressional resilience of the dry-treated kapok assemblies was better than that of the wet-treated assemblies; the bulkiness of both the dry-and wet-treated assemblies was reduced after the pressure treatment, but in the wet assemblies kapok hollow structures and interspaces among fibers were much easier to be squeezed than those of the dry assemblies.

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