Link to: International Year of Natural Fibres 2009: Flax
Link to: Current information about Flax


Wikipedia: Flax – Linum Usitatissimum


Flax Facts:

Flax fibres obtained from the stems of the plant Linum usitatissimum are used mainly to make linen. The plant has been used for fibre production since prehistoric times. It grows best at northern temperate latitudes, where moderately moist summers yield fine, strong but silky flax. In Poland, a hectare of Flax plants yields 1.5 to 3.5 tonnes of fibre.

Like Cotton, Flax fibre is a cellulose polymer, but its structure is more crystalline, making it stronger, crisper and stiffer to handle, and more easily wrinkled. Flax fibres range in length up to 90 cm, and average 12 to 16 microns in diameter. The bast fibers are produced in the outer regions of the stem, having a fiber content of approximately 25%.

Used for clothing the fibres absorb and release water quickly, making linen comfortable to wear in hot weather. As a value-added replacement for glass fiber from a renewable resource, flax fiber is recyclable, biodegradable, low density, relatively high strength and low abrasiveness.

In 2007, the European Union produced 122 000 tonnes of Flax fibre, making it the world’s biggest producer, followed by China with about 25 000 tonnes.

Source: FAO 2009 and DNFI 2020