FAIR-CT98-9574 Cultivation and processing systems for the cost efficient recovery of fibres from flax for use as a staple textile

Contacts
Further Information



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Crops for Textiles/Fabrics/Cordage : FAIR Area 1.2 - Green Chemicals and Polymers Chain : Fibre : Textiles/Fabrics/Geomembranes

	Type of Project	Cooperative Research
	Contract No	FAIR-CT98-9574
	Total Cost
	EC Contribution
	Start Date
	Duration	24 months

Objectives

Increasing world consumption of textile fibres will lead, within ten years, to demand for an additional 10 million tonnes of fibre per annum. This cannot be met solely by growing more cotton, and a greater long-term dependence on synthetic petrochemical-based fibres is environmentally and economically unacceptable. There will, therefore, be a need for alternative fibres, that are compatible with cotton and other fibres in existing textile manufacturing processes.

Whereas some of this demand may be satisfied by increased production of regenerated cellulosic fibres (from wood), the over capacity for food production in Europe, and the consequent need to make alternative, long-term, profitable use of arable land, provides an opportunity to extend the production of European grown, renewable fibre crops.

In the medium term, flax is the (European) crop most likely to yield fibres that are "cotton compatible", but the traditional methods for producing flax for linen are expensive, and changes in processing systems are needed if flax is to compete on price. The objectives of this Cooperative Research project are therefore:

1. To establish principles for maximising yields of flax straw and cotton compatible flax fibre via variety selection, seed rate, and harvesting strategy.
2. To determine optimum combinations of desiccant type, application date and resting time (for the desiccated standing crop) in order to facilitate decortication and maximise fibre yield.
3. To evaluate and further develop a novel high throughput decortication and fibre cleaning system, and to determine the potential market value of the "tow" and strive.
4. To characterise the fibre samples in terms of fibre length distribution, fineness and strength.
5. To evaluate the compatibility of short flax fibre with cotton and other fibres on laboratory-scale cotton spinning systems. Later, to conduct full-scale spinning trials to confirm laboratory-scale predictions.
6. To evaluate the compatibility of short, and medium staple length flax fibre with wool and other fibres on laboratory scale woollen and/or worsted spinning systems.
7. To develop appropriate scouring, bleaching and dyeing regimes for the various fibre blend yarns produced in 5 and 6.
8. To evaluate the performance of selected yarns from 5, 6 and 7 in small scale knitting and weaving trials on a variety of knitting machine and loom types.

In order to achieve these objectives, small plot trials will be conducted by the School of Agriculture, De Montfort University (GB) with inputs of materials and expertise from CEBECO (NL) and ZENECA (GB). ICP (GB) will rent land and farmers for the commercial trials and arrange all transport of flax straw and fibre between decorticators and spinners. STRAW SERVICES (GB) will develop the high throughput decortication system and assess the market value of strive. CEBECO will arrange decortication of small plot samples. CITEVE (PT) will characterise fibre samples and conduct lab scale cotton spinning trials. FIATECE (PT) will do full scale cotton spinning trials and VERVAEKE FIBRE (BE) will assess the market value of non-textile quality fibre. The Department of Textiles and Fashion, De Montfort University (GB) will be responsible for objectives 6, 7 and 8 which are essential to ensure that the fibre produced by the proposed agricultural and decortication methods is commercially viable. This Department will also be responsible for overall coordination of the project

Flax field

Contacts

Coordinator

• Steve Rudkin / Industrial Crop Partnership Ltd UNITED KINGDOM

Participant

• Gerry COOK / CEBECO Agricultural Seeds Group B.V. Seed Innovation Ltd. / UNITED KINGDOM
• Luis SAMARAO / FIATECE PORTUGAL
• Geoffrey SIMMONS / Straw Services Ltd UNITED KINGDOM
• Antoine VERVAEKE / Vervaeke Fibre N.V. BELGIUM
• Trevor Nigel CULLEY / Zeneca Crop Protection plc UNITED KINGDOM

RTD Performer

• Luis GUIMARAES ALMEIDA / Centro Tecnologico das Industrias Textil e do Vestuario de Portugal / PORTUGAL
• Ray HARWOOD / De Montfort University Textile Engineering and Manufacture Research / UNITED KINGDOM