
New Flax Production Process Eyed
By Sharon Durham March 30, 2000A new process that could revolutionize
linen fabric production in the United States will be evaluated under a research
agreement between the Agricultural Research Service and the Center for American
Flax Fiber (CAFF). ARS and CAFF will evaluate a
procedure called enzymatic retting, developed by ARS scientists and
collaborators. It uses a chemical to break down calcium bonds in the flax
plant. This, in turn, allows an enzyme to more easily loosen the flax fiber so
it can be extracted from the plant and processed into linen for industrial
uses. Under the agreement, researchers will also establish quality standards for
flax fiber strength, length, fineness, non-fiber content, and color. Linen, a fabric made from the flax plant, is probably the oldest man-made
fabric, dating back 10,000 years. North America is the largest producer of
flaxseed and related products that result in millions of tons of residual
fiber, but only a small portion of it is used for industrial purposes. The
ability to produce flax fiber for industrial use would allow the U.S. to enter
the flax fiber industry. To this end, ARS scientist Danny Akin and agency colleagues began looking
for more efficient ways to extract fiber from flax. In the past, harvesting of
flax in the U.S. was accomplished by an inefficient method called dew-retting,
which requires the flax plant to remain in the field where indigenous
microorganisms--with appropriate temperatures and natural moisture--loosen the
fiber. This process, however, confines flax production to limited geographic
regions and produces inconsistent fiber properties because of natural
variations. Scientists hope enzymatic retting will help establish a U.S. flax fiber
industry. The U.S. now imports about $150 million of flax fiber,
flax-containing yarn, and flax fabric annually. This has an estimated value of
$500 million in finished products. The ability to efficiently extract fiber
from flax plants would put these dollars into the U.S. fiber industry. Scientific contact: Danny E. Akin,
Richard B. Russell Research Center,
Athens, GA, phone (706) 546-3482, fax (706) 546-3607,
[email protected]. U.S. Department of Agriculture | |