Linen
Fibre structure & physical properties
Fibre composition:
Cellulose
Diameter: 12-16 μm
Very fine: < 10 μm,
Fine: < 20 μm,
Medium: 20-50 μm,
Course: > 50 μm
Length: Staple
Staple length: 40-150 mm
short < 26 mm,
medium 26-29 mm,
long: 30-38 mm,
extra long: 39 mm and over
Natural fibre colour: Brownish, ivory, grey colour
Microscopic Images (Cross sectional and SEM):
Amiri, Ali, Yu, Arvin, Webster, Dean, and Ulven, Chad. “Bio-Based Resin Reinforced with Flax Fiber as Thermorheologically Complex Materials.” Polymers 8.4 (2016): 153. Web.
Caption:Irregular polygonal shape with straight sides with narrow lumem
Comment:
Outer surface shows lengthwise furrows, transverse cracks and swollen nodes.
Fibre properties (Mechanical, Chemical and Thermal)
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (cN/dtex) :
Chemical Properties
Hydrophobicity: Hydrophilic
Moisture regain (%): 12.4%
Thermal Properties
Flammability: Cellulosic fibres such as cotton, hemp jute etc. burns with a steady flame and smells like burning paper or leaves. The ash is greyish and easily crushed.
Sustainability considerations
Flax plant requires less water than cotton
Very little waste from flax plant. Linseed oil is a byproduct of flax plant seeds.
Requires fewer pesticides, herbicides and fungicides than cotton
End uses
Apparel: Crisp, lightweight. Often blended with Viscose or Polyester
Furnishing: Tea towels, curtains, upholstery
Videos
Materials using this fibre
Additional resources
Taylor MA, 2004. Technology of Textile Properties. Third edition. Forbes Publications, London, UK.
Zhong Z and Xiao C, 2008. Fabric composition and testing. In: Fabric Testing. Ed: Hu, J. Woodhead Publishing Limited, Cambridge, UK.
ISO/TR 11827:2012 Textiles — Composition testing — Identification of fibres.
Houck, Max M. Identification of Textile Fibers. Cambridge : Boca Raton: Woodhead Pub. in Association with The Textile Institute ; CRC, 2009. Print.
