FLAX FIBER / PROPERTIES OF FLAX FIBER/ USES OF FLA X FIBER / APPLICATION OF FLAX FIBER

FLAX FIBER / PROPERTIES OF FLAX FIBER/ USES OF FLA X FIBER / APPLICATION OF  FLAX FIBER

Flax Fiber

Flax is called natural fiber and it's collected from the stalk of a plant (Linum usitatissimum - A literal translation is “linen most useful.” ) which is from 80 to 120 cm high. it has few branches and small flowers of a color that varies from white to intense blue.

Flax is thought to have originated in the Mediterranean region of Europe; the Swiss Lake Dweller People of the Stone Age apparently produced flax utilizing fiber as well as the seed. after the invention of the cotton gin in 1793, flax production began to decline. The major fiber flax producing countries are the Soviet Union, Poland, and France are 

Properties of Flax Fiber 

Very resistant, above all, if wet is often washed repeatedly without alteration, rather it becomes softer, something vital for articles of clothing and for daily use which requires frequent washing such as shirts. linen clothes do not deform themselves due to having very low elasticity,

Linen is thermoregulating, non-allergenic, antistatic, and antibacterial. Because it can absorb up to 20 times its weight in moisture before it feels damp, linen feels cool and dry to the touch. It is not by accident that the world’s oldest and most useful fiber is still in great demand.

History of Flax Fiber

Flax fiber is the oldest fiber crop in the world and the use of flax for the production of linen goes back 5000 years. Currently, all flax produced in the USA and Canada is seed flax types for the production of linseed oil or flaxseeds for human nutrition. Flax fiber is soft, lustrous, and flexible. Though flax fiber has less elasticity it is stronger than cotton fiber. In damask, lace, and sheeting linen fabrics are used. This fiber is also a raw material for the high-quality paper industry for the use of printed currency notes. Also used for making cigarette paper.

The major countries are the former USSR, Poland, France, Belgium, and the Czech Republic

Applications of Flax Fiber

1. Table wear

2. Suiting

3. Clothing apparel

4. Surgical thread

5. Sewing thread

6. Decorative fabrics

7. Bed linen

8. Kitchen towels

9. High-quality papers

10. Handkerchief linen

11. Shirting

12. Upholstery

13. Draperies

14. Wallcoverings

15. Artist’s canvases

16. Luggage fabrics

17. Paneling

18. Insulation

19. Filtration

20. Fabrics for light aviation use

21. Automotive end uses

22. Reinforce plastics and composite materials.

23. Flax could conceivably be mixed with excess grass seed straw or softwood fiber in composite boards