Chemical Composition Of Flax Fiber | Linen Fiber Composition

Linen fiber is collected from the flax fiber. It is a natural, cellulosic, bast and multi cellular fiber. At first it is used in the industry among all of the vegetable fiber. The fabric and yarn which is collected from the flax plant is called linen.



Chemical Composition of Flax Fiber: Every fiber has a chemical composition and it is important to know before its processing. Linen fiber is a cellulosic fiber and cellulose is the principle element of linen. Followings are the chemical composition of linen fiber.

Cellulose                   : 92%

Hemi-Cellulose           : 2%

Lignin                       : 4%

Others                      : 2%

This is calculated in 100%.

The fabric which is produced from the linen fiber that is comfortable to wear. But it is heavy for this reason the fabric which is made from the linen fiber that is also heavy. Anyhow, day by day the uses of linen fiber increase rapidly.

Linen Fiber | Physical And Chemical Properties of Linen Fiber

Linen is a cellulosic textile fiber. It is collected from the flax plant. It is a natural fiber and it is more valuable than the cotton fiber. It is a soft and cool fiber and it is light in weight for this reason it is comfortable to wear. Its strength is more than cotton fiber and its value is about 2 or 3 times than the cotton fiber. Linen fiber occupied second position after Rame in regards of strength. The fabric which is produced by the linen fiber it is attractive and fashionable. To know about a fiber it is required to know about the physical and chemical properties of the fiber. For this reason, I like to present the physical and chemical properties of the linen fiber.

Physical Properties of Linen: Physical properties of linen fibers are given below:

1. Color: The color of linen fiber is yellowish to grey.


2. Length: 18 to 30 inch in length.


3. Tensile Strength: Linen is a strong fiber. It has a tenacity of 5.5 to 6.5 gm/den. The strength is greater than cotton fiber.


4. Elongation at break: Linen does not stress easily. It has an elongation at break of 2.7 to 3.5 %.


5. Elastic Recovery: Linen fiber has not enough elastic recovery properties like cotton fiber.


6. Specific Gravity: Specific gravity of linen fiber is 1.50.


7. Moisture Regain (MR %): Standard moisture regain is 10 to 12%.


8. Effect of Heat: Linen has an excellent resistance to degradation by heat. It is less affected than cotton fiber by the heat.


9. Effect of Sun Light: Linen fiber is not affected by the sun light as others fiber. It has enough ability to protect sun light.


10. Resiliency: Very poor.


11. Lusture: It is brighter than cotton fiber and it is slightly silky.

Chemical Properties of Linen: Linen is a natural cellulosic fiber and it has some chemical properties. Chemical properties of the linen fiber are given below:

1. Effect of Acids: Linen fiber is damaged by highly densified acids but low dense acids does not affect if it is wash instantly after application of acids.


2. Effects of Alkalis: Linen has an excellent resistance to alkalis. It does not affected by the strong alkalis.


3. Effects of Bleaching Agents: Cool chlorine and hypo-chlorine bleaching agent does not affect the linen fiber properties.


4. Effect of Organic Solvent: Linen fiber has high resistance to normal cleaning solvents.


5. Effects of Insects: Linen fiber does not attacked by moth-grubs or beetles.


6. Effect of Micro Organism: Linen fiber is attacked by fungi and bacteria. Mildews will feed on linen fabric, rotting and weakling the materials. Mildews and bacteria will flourish on linen under hot and humid condition. They can be protected by impregnation with certain types of chemicals. Copper Nepthenate is one of the chemical.


7. Dyes: It is not suitable to dye. But it can be dye by direct and vat dyes.

Linen fiber is an oldest fiber and it is use to make different types of fabrics which is used in various types of decorative purpose.

Top Flax Growing Countries Of The World | Linen Fiber Production

Flax is the oldest fiber plant amongst all the fiber. It is an annual plant and the fiber is collected from the stew of the plant. Flax seeds are cultivated in a fertile, well-defined, and well prepared soil with a cool and humid condition. The process of collecting fiber from the plant is near similar to jute fiber. In present the demand of linen fiber is increased incredively for this reason the production rate of flax fiber increasing rapidly. In present Russia is the major flax cultivating country in the world but best quality flax is cultivated in Belgium. If we notice, major portion of linen fiber is supplied from the entire Europe.



Top Flax Growing Countries of the World: Linen fiber is used to produce linen fabric which is comfortable to wear. Flax is cultivated in different parts of the world. In every year, a survey is performed for determine the position of the flax growing country. This survey is done by different organizatation. By depending on the different reports, I have listed top flax producing countries of the world. This is a common chart. The position of the flax growing countries could be changed but most of the case they obtain the top position. Followings are the most flax growing countries. They are-

1. Canada


2. Russia


3. Ukraine


4. France


5. Argentina


6. Italy


7. Germany


8. UK (Ireland, Scotland, England)


9. Holland


10. Belgium

Above are the major flax growing countries but some flax are grown in India, Pakistan, China and Africa.

Process Flow Chart Of Flax Cultivation | Bast Fiber Cultivation

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

↓

Seed sown

↓

Plant grows

↓

Harvesting

↓

Retting

↓

Breaking

↓

Scutching

↓

Hacking

↓

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.

1. Dam Ratting


2. Dew Ratting


3. Tank Ratting


4. 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.