Flax is a natural bast fiber. Flax fibers come from the strew of an annual plant. Linum usitatissium which grows in many temperate and sub tropical regions of the world. In the inner bark of this plant, there are long slender, thick walled cells of which the fibers stands are composed.
Process Flow of Flax Cultivation: Flax fiber is cultivated in the hot region of the world. Like all of the fiber cultivation process, it has a cultivating flow chart. Here, I have presented a process flow of flax cultivation.
Land preparation
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Seed sown
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Plant grows
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Harvesting
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Retting
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Breaking
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Scutching
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Hacking
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Flax fibers (line and tow)
Now, I like to give a short description about the flax cultivating process.
Ratting of Flax: After harvesting, the flax fibers are held together in the stems by woody matter and cellular tissue. Ratting is a fermentation process that frees the fibers from the woody matter. Ratting may be carried out in one of the several methods.
- Dam Ratting
- Dew Ratting
- Tank Ratting
- Chemical Ratting (caustic soda, soap and dilute mineral)
Breaking: The rolled flax is drawn between fluted rollers in the breaking machine this process is known as breaking.
Scutching: The broken flax materials are than subjected to a process which separates the unwanted woody matter from the fiber. This is done by beating the retted flax with blunt wooden or metal blades.
Hacking: After scutching, the flax fibers are usually combed or hacked by drawing them through sets of pins. Each successive set being finer than the previous one.
Line: The long fibers of flax are known as line.
Tow: The shorter fibers of flax are known as tow.
Flax is a textile fiber and its cultivation process is near similar to jute fiber.
Very Fine
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