Uploaded byFarhan ullah baig
Flax fiber
Flax fiber comes from the stem of the flax plant. The fibers form bundles beneath the bark and are long, slender cells. Flax plants grow up to 1.25 meters tall. Flax was one of the first fibers used for textiles. The production process involves cultivating the plant, harvesting, retting to separate the fibers, breaking, scutching, and hackling. Retting can be done through dam, dew, tank, or chemical methods. The fibers are then used to make products like linen, sailcloth, sewing threads, garments, artists' canvases, and composites.
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Flax fiber
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- 3. Introduction Flax fiber comesfrom the stem of a plant “Linum Usitatissimum”. The fibers form bundles or strands that are present in the fibrous layers lying beneath the bark of the plant. In the inner bark of this plant there are long, slender, thick-walled cells of which the fiber strands are composed.
- 4. Flax Plant growsto a height of about 0.5– 1.25 meter Stem has diameter between 1.6 and 3.2 mm Seeds in the plant are contained in small spherical balls, at the top of the stalks; this is called the linseed, from which linseed oil is produced.
- 5. History of FlaxFiber Flax was probably the first bast fiber to be used by man for making textiles. During the 17th century, linen manufacture became established as a domestic industry in many countries of Western Europe. During the 18th century, with the rise of cotton, the linen industry was forced into the background. Countries of production: Canada, Russia, China, India, UK
- 6. Cross-Sectional View ofFlax Plant
- 7. Microscopic View ofFlax Plant Stem
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- 9. Structure of FlaxFiber Longitudinal View
- 10. Comparison of Flax& Cotton fiber:
- 11. Composition %age ofBast Fibers * The higher the lignin percentage, the lower the quality.
- 12. Production and Processingof Flax Fiber The flax fiber plant produces a taller stem. The steps which are involved in the production and processing of flax fiber are: Cultivation Harvesting Rippling Retting - Dam Retting - Dew Retting - Tank Retting - Chemical Retting Breaking & Scutching Hackling
- 13. Cultivation Process Flax plantis sown in March or April Has very short growing period (100 days) They produces less branches and longer finer fiber When plants have flowered and seeds are ripened, crop is pulled by root.
- 14. Harvesting Process Harvesting canbe done after 30 days of flax plant blooming/growing Harvesting should be done on a warm, sunny day Pull (don’t cut) the plants by grasping below the roots Brush off the dirt from the roots Stack the flax plant into bundles, and place the tied bundles in a sunny location to dry Harvesting can be done both by manual and mechanical methods
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- 16. Rippling Process Rippling isthe process that removes the seeds and leaves from the stem. Iron Device Wooden Device
- 17. Retting Process Retting isthe process that softens and separates the fibrous core of the plant from the outer layer which is composed of woody matter. Retting is carried out in the following four ways: 1. Dam Retting 2. Dew Retting 3. Tank Retting 4. Chemical Retting
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- 22. Chemical Retting Retting canbe carried out chemically by treating the flax straw with the solutions of: • Caustic Soda • Sodium Carbonate • Acids • Soap • Cottonization Process
- 23. Breaking and ScutchingProcess Breaking: The flax straw is passed between fluted rollers in a breaking machine, so that the woody core is broken into fragments without damaging the fibers running through the stem.
- 24. Scutching: The broken strawis then subjected to the process known as “Scutching” which separates the unwanted woody matter from the fiber. This is done by beating the straw with blunt wooden or metal blades.
- 25. Hackling Process Hackling separatesthe long line fibers from the shorter tow. A hackle is a bed of pins, which are usually used to comb the fibers for drawing and aligning purposes.
- 26. Properties 1. Fiber Surface& Appearance: Soft, yellowish white in color and Lustrous appearance 2. Tensile Strength: Wet flax fiber is 20% stronger than dry Tenacity = 2-7 gm/denier (18~63 GPT) 3. Elongation: Elongation at break = 1.8% dry, and 2.2% wet 4. Elastic Properties: It will tend to return its original length when the tension is relaxed. 5. Specific Gravity: 1.54 6. Length: 30~38 cm
- 27. Properties 6. Effect ofMoisture: Moisture Regain = 12% 7. Effect of Heat: Highly resistant up to 120ċ 8. Effect of Sunlight: Loss of Strength 9. Effect of Acids: Effected by hot dilute and cold concentrated acids 10. Effect of Alkalis: Good Resistance to alkaline solution
- 28. Properties 11. Effect ofInsects: Not attacked by insects 12. Effect of Microorganisms: In wet condition, attacked by mildew but highly resistance in dry condition 13. Effect of Solvents: Not adversely affected by dry-cleaning solvents in common use 14. Chemical Properties: Difficult to bleach and dye because it is harder and rigid than cotton.
- 29. End Uses Demand whenextra strength and resistance to moisture required. Expensive as compared to cotton due to production method Generally used in: Sail Cloth Tent Shoe threads Sewing threads Handkerchiefs, towels, tablecloth, sheets Garments
- 30. Artist’s canvases Luggage fabrics Paneling Insulation Filtration Fabricsfor light aviation use Automotive end uses Reinforce plastics and composite materials. Flax could conceivably be mixed with excess grass seed straw or softwood fiber in composite boards Applications of Flax Fiber Table wear Suiting Clothing apparel Surgical thread Sewing thread Decorative fabrics Bed linen Kitchen towels High quality papers Handkerchief linen Shirting Upholstery Draperies Wall coverings