Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) has supplied fiber for textiles for thousands of years. Recently, flax has been considered as a cost-effective alternative to glass in composites. New technology and separation techniques have lowered the costs to produce fibers that are more uniform in color, strength, length, and fineness and thus better suited for composites.Using redesigned techniques over those traditionally used in flax production, fiber separation begins at the farm using readily available agricultural equipment that has been tailored for flax harvesting. Rather than the expensive European harvest method of pulling stalks, rapid methods developed in the U.S. harvest flax stalks with a drum mower. Costly, specialized imported harvesters are no longer required to produce uniform fibers. Equipment is low cost, readily available and well understood by U.S. farmers.To further improve fiber quality, flax is not dew-retted, which depends on indigenous fungi to separate fibers. Rather, the cut stalks are field-dried and baled for retting with commercial enzymes in designed formulations. To improve the separation of fibers from the flax, various crimping methods and enzymes are used. Fiber yields following Crimped Enzymatic Retting (CER) indicate that certain crimping forces affect fiber yield. Commercially available cleaning and cottonizing equipment further separates the shive material from the fibers producing fibers of a similar quality and lighter in color compared to dew-retted flax.A preliminary economic study suggests that fiber flax can be grown with a profit margin. Further, initial results on straw residues from the flaxseed industry show that fibers of good yield and quality can be produced by the CER method.Dew-retted flax fibers have a lower density but similar tensile strength values at a lower cost compared to glass fibers and, therefore, could provide an environmentally friendly alternative in composites. While, dew-retted flax fibers are capable of producing composite materials, research is required on optimal use of enzyme-retted fibers. Heretofore, characteristics important in composites have been defined from dew-retted fibers.Replacing glass fibers with flax fibers may allow better material separation, recycling, remanufacturing, and reuse of production waste. End-of-life composite materials could be easily incinerated and used as an alternative fuel source with no glass residue. Emission and source reductions may occur because the fibers are derived from naturally renewable materials created through photosynthesis.


    Access

    Check access

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    New Low Cost Flax Fibers for Composites


    Additional title:

    Sae Technical Papers


    Contributors:

    Conference:

    SAE 2000 World Congress ; 2000



    Publication date :

    2000-03-06




    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English




    New Low Cost Flax Fibers for Composites

    Foulk, J. A. / Akin, D. E. / Dodd, R. B. et al. | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2000


    New low cost flax fibers for composites

    Foulk,J.A. / Akin,D.E. / Dodd,R.B. et al. | Automotive engineering | 2000


    Dielectric relaxation phenomena in flax fibers composite

    Karray, M. / Triki, A. / Poilâne, C. et al. | British Library Online Contents | 2016


    Wood & Flax Fibre Polyolefin Composites

    Denault, J. / Society of Automotive Engineers | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2006


    Mechanical and moisture absorption characterization of PLA composites reinforced with nano-coated flax fibers

    Bayart, M. / Gauvin, F. / Foruzanmehr, M. R. et al. | British Library Online Contents | 2017