Flax/Linen fiber properties and application

Flax or linen is a multicellular, vegetable bast fiber like jute and hemp. Cellulose is the most part of its composition. 


Physical properties of Linen/Flax

Length: Flax fibers range up to 90 cm.

Diameter: This fiber has an average 12 to 16 micron diameter.

Strength: More than cotton fiber, 5.5 to 6.5 gm/denier.

Elastic Property: Elasticity is too much low. Extension before breaking 2.7 to 3.5%.

Moisture Regain: MR% of linen fiber is 10 to 12%

Abrasion Resistance: Moderate

Color: Yellowish to gray.

Luster: More than cotton fiber, slightly silky.

Heat Resistance: Better than cotton fiber.


Chemical Properties: Like cotton linen/flax fiber is a cellulose polymer, but the structure of it is more crystalline which makes it stronger, crisper and hard to handle and more easily wrinkled. They absorb and release water quickly, making linen comfortable to wear in hot weather. The resistance against concentrated acid is poor but dilute acid can not affect more. It works well though use strong alkali and the cold bleaching agent. It is not affected by mildew and insects as well. Dyeing properties of linen is not so good as cotton or jute, Direct or Vat colors are suitable to dye up this fiber.

Application

The most usual applications of linen/flax fiber

•     Table wear
•     Suiting
•     Clothing apparel
•     Surgical thread
•     Sewing thread
•     Decorative fabrics
•     Bed linen
•     Kitchen towels
•     High quality papers
•     Handkerchiefs
•     Draperies
•     Upholstery
•     Wall coverings
•     Artists canvases
•     Luggage fabrics
•     Panelling
•     Insulation, filtration
•     Light aviation use (fabrics)
•     Reinforced plastics and composites 

It burns without any smell thus it is used for cigarette covering.

Flax/Linen fiber properties and application

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Flax or linen is a multicellular, vegetable bast fiber like jute and hemp. Cellulose is the most part of its composition. 


Physical properties of Linen/Flax

Length: Flax fibers range up to 90 cm.

Diameter: This fiber has an average 12 to 16 micron diameter.

Strength: More than cotton fiber, 5.5 to 6.5 gm/denier.

Elastic Property: Elasticity is too much low. Extension before breaking 2.7 to 3.5%.

Moisture Regain: MR% of linen fiber is 10 to 12%

Abrasion Resistance: Moderate

Color: Yellowish to gray.

Luster: More than cotton fiber, slightly silky.

Heat Resistance: Better than cotton fiber.


Chemical Properties: Like cotton linen/flax fiber is a cellulose polymer, but the structure of it is more crystalline which makes it stronger, crisper and hard to handle and more easily wrinkled. They absorb and release water quickly, making linen comfortable to wear in hot weather. The resistance against concentrated acid is poor but dilute acid can not affect more. It works well though use strong alkali and the cold bleaching agent. It is not affected by mildew and insects as well. Dyeing properties of linen is not so good as cotton or jute, Direct or Vat colors are suitable to dye up this fiber.

Application

The most usual applications of linen/flax fiber

•     Table wear
•     Suiting
•     Clothing apparel
•     Surgical thread
•     Sewing thread
•     Decorative fabrics
•     Bed linen
•     Kitchen towels
•     High quality papers
•     Handkerchiefs
•     Draperies
•     Upholstery
•     Wall coverings
•     Artists canvases
•     Luggage fabrics
•     Panelling
•     Insulation, filtration
•     Light aviation use (fabrics)
•     Reinforced plastics and composites 

It burns without any smell thus it is used for cigarette covering.

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Linen Fiber Processing Flowchart and Chemical Composition

Linen is the first natural fiber which was produced industrially from flax plant. this fiber obtained from the stems of the plant Linum usitatissimum are used to produce linen fabrics. Linen has been used for thousand of years. Flax is thought to have originated in the Mediterranean region of Europe, the Swiss lake dweller People produced flax for the fiber and seed. Linen was the preferred textile of the Ancient Egyptians who used it for fabrication, bed linen and mummies were wrapped by it. The Commercial use of linen started in 1753. At present France, China, Belgium and Holland produces most of the fax plant.

Linen processing flow chart

 Rippling
   ↓
Retting
  ↓
Dew-Retting

↓
Dam or water Retting

↓
Chemical Retting

↓
Washing and Drying

↓
Breaking

↓
Scutching
↓
Hackling

Chemical Composition of Linen

Component	Percentage
Cellulose	92%
Hemi-Cellulose	2%
Lignin	4%
Others	2%
Total	100%

Classification of Linen

Linen is classified into two types.

1. Short staple - Comparatively smaller in size and use to uneven linen yarns. It is also called as Tow.
2. Long staple - Longer size fiber, 12 to 20 inches. Used to make finer linen yarn. Alternative name of it is Line.
(Reference- Book: textile fiber and web: binhaitimes.com)

Linen Fiber Processing Flowchart and Chemical Composition

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Linen is the first natural fiber which was produced industrially from flax plant. this fiber obtained from the stems of the plant Linum usitatissimum are used to produce linen fabrics. Linen has been used for thousand of years. Flax is thought to have originated in the Mediterranean region of Europe, the Swiss lake dweller People produced flax for the fiber and seed. Linen was the preferred textile of the Ancient Egyptians who used it for fabrication, bed linen and mummies were wrapped by it. The Commercial use of linen started in 1753. At present France, China, Belgium and Holland produces most of the fax plant.

Linen processing flow chart

 Rippling
   ↓
Retting
  ↓
Dew-Retting

↓
Dam or water Retting

↓
Chemical Retting

↓
Washing and Drying

↓
Breaking

↓
Scutching
↓
Hackling

Chemical Composition of Linen

Component	Percentage
Cellulose	92%
Hemi-Cellulose	2%
Lignin	4%
Others	2%
Total	100%

Classification of Linen

Linen is classified into two types.

1. Short staple - Comparatively smaller in size and use to uneven linen yarns. It is also called as Tow.
2. Long staple - Longer size fiber, 12 to 20 inches. Used to make finer linen yarn. Alternative name of it is Line.
(Reference- Book: textile fiber and web: binhaitimes.com)

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Hemp Fiber Properties, Chemical Constituents and Uses

Hemp is a natural bast fiber like jute, flax or ramie. This fiber is produced from the plant name Cannabis Sativa. It grows well in the south western part of Caspian Ocean. It is a long strong and most durable fiber among all the vegetable fibers. It contains about 70 percent cellulose in its structure and looks very shiny like linen or flax fiber. It has low amount of lignin, hemi-cellulose and other matters. Hemp is very finer fiber but more stronger as it is used to coarse fabric as well as canvas. Since hemp fiber shows similar properties like all the natural bast fibers as their length, strength, absorbency, durability, dyeing properties, mildew resistant, blocking ultraviolet light and anti-bacterial properties, thus it is used for producing various decorative textile products and blended with other fibers.

Chemical Constituents of Hemp

Component	percentage
Cellulose	71.5%
Hemi-cellulsoe	18.1%
Lignin	5.9%
Pectin	2.9%
Fat and Wax	0.9%
Water Soluble Matter	1.8%
Total	100%

Physical Properties

Length: It is 4 to 6.5 feet long.

Strength: Too strong, usually after ramie it is most stronger fiber among all natural fibers.

Elasticity: Not so good. Lesser than flax fiber.

Color: It looks yellowish to deep brown.

Moisture Regain: MR% of hemp fiber is 12, which is more than cotton or flax fiber but lesser than jute.

Heat Resistance: Heat Resistance of hemp is moderate.

Luster: Soft and highly shiny fiber like linen.

Chemical properties

Hemp fiber contains about 70% cellulose, thus it has great affinity towards dyes and chemicals. It has excellent mildew resistant and blocking to ultraviolet light as well as natural anti-bacterial properties. It destroys when treated with strong acid but have good activity and resistant against strong alkali. It should  dye up at bleach free way as it is greatly affected by beaching agent. (Reference: book Textile Fiber and  web textilefashionstudy)

End Uses:

Hemp has been used to make coarse fabric as well as canvas as it is very strong fiber. It has been used for ages to produce rope, canvas along with paper like matter. Prolonged hemp muscles is usually content spun along with weaved to generate highly detailed, linen-like fabric employed in clothing, home furnishing fabrics along with floor coverings.

In China, hemp is usually de-gummed for processing on flax or cotton machinery. Blending with cotton, linen, silk and wool gives hemp a softer feel, while adding resistance and durability to the product.

In Europe, hemp fibers are used mainly in the specific paper market - on account of reduce lignin content material, it may be pulped employing a lot fewer chemical substances in comparison with wood.

Hemp fibers are also used to reinforce moulded thermoplastics in the automobile industry. The short core fibers go into insulation products, fiber board and erosion control mats, while the fibrous core can be blended with lime to make strong, lightweight concrete. (Reference : naturalfibres2009)

Hemp Fiber Properties, Chemical Constituents and Uses

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Hemp is a natural bast fiber like jute, flax or ramie. This fiber is produced from the plant name Cannabis Sativa. It grows well in the south western part of Caspian Ocean. It is a long strong and most durable fiber among all the vegetable fibers. It contains about 70 percent cellulose in its structure and looks very shiny like linen or flax fiber. It has low amount of lignin, hemi-cellulose and other matters. Hemp is very finer fiber but more stronger as it is used to coarse fabric as well as canvas. Since hemp fiber shows similar properties like all the natural bast fibers as their length, strength, absorbency, durability, dyeing properties, mildew resistant, blocking ultraviolet light and anti-bacterial properties, thus it is used for producing various decorative textile products and blended with other fibers.

Chemical Constituents of Hemp

Component	percentage
Cellulose	71.5%
Hemi-cellulsoe	18.1%
Lignin	5.9%
Pectin	2.9%
Fat and Wax	0.9%
Water Soluble Matter	1.8%
Total	100%

Physical Properties

Length: It is 4 to 6.5 feet long.

Strength: Too strong, usually after ramie it is most stronger fiber among all natural fibers.

Elasticity: Not so good. Lesser than flax fiber.

Color: It looks yellowish to deep brown.

Moisture Regain: MR% of hemp fiber is 12, which is more than cotton or flax fiber but lesser than jute.

Heat Resistance: Heat Resistance of hemp is moderate.

Luster: Soft and highly shiny fiber like linen.

Chemical properties

Hemp fiber contains about 70% cellulose, thus it has great affinity towards dyes and chemicals. It has excellent mildew resistant and blocking to ultraviolet light as well as natural anti-bacterial properties. It destroys when treated with strong acid but have good activity and resistant against strong alkali. It should  dye up at bleach free way as it is greatly affected by beaching agent. (Reference: book Textile Fiber and  web textilefashionstudy)

End Uses:

Hemp has been used to make coarse fabric as well as canvas as it is very strong fiber. It has been used for ages to produce rope, canvas along with paper like matter. Prolonged hemp muscles is usually content spun along with weaved to generate highly detailed, linen-like fabric employed in clothing, home furnishing fabrics along with floor coverings.

In China, hemp is usually de-gummed for processing on flax or cotton machinery. Blending with cotton, linen, silk and wool gives hemp a softer feel, while adding resistance and durability to the product.

In Europe, hemp fibers are used mainly in the specific paper market - on account of reduce lignin content material, it may be pulped employing a lot fewer chemical substances in comparison with wood.

Hemp fibers are also used to reinforce moulded thermoplastics in the automobile industry. The short core fibers go into insulation products, fiber board and erosion control mats, while the fibrous core can be blended with lime to make strong, lightweight concrete. (Reference : naturalfibres2009)

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