Flax Fiber Standards Set

WASHINGTON - Aug 1/05 - SNS -- Efforts to create a viable market for flax fiber have been helped by the creation of international standards for the fiber, believes the USDA.

Scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and several universities have established quality standards for fineness, color, and cleanliness, according to the following excerpts from an article by Sharon Durham, Agricultural Research Service Information Staff, published in the August 2005 edition of Agricultural Research Magazine.

"Standards are useful to assure uniform quality and performance," says microbiologist Danny E. Akin, of the ARS Quality Assessment Research Unit in Athens, Georgia.

"Since natural fibers, such as flax/linen, are by their nature variable, standards are particularly useful for manufacturers of textiles and composites. Standards tell them how to set equipment for optimal production, which affects efficiency and product quality, and how to best use available resources."

Akin chairs the ASTM International subcommittee "Flax and Linen," which is responsible for establishing the standards for flax fibers. ASTM International, originally known as the American Society for Testing and Materials, was formed more than a century ago, and is one of the largest voluntary-standards-development organizations in the world.

Four standards have been developed since 2002. The first, "Standard Terminology Relating to Flax and Linen," reduces confusion and ambiguity when discussing the fiber. "Standard Test Method for Color Measurement of Flax Fiber" was the first standard to characterize fiber properties. Next came "Standard Test Method for Assessing Clean Flax Fiber Fineness" and "Standard Test Method for the Measurement of Shives in Retted Flax."

These standards set the stage for flax to expand into the manufacturing or medical arenas. For instance, flax composites could be used as lighter, environmentally friendly replacements for glass in cars. Some major car manufacturers have expressed interest in such a product. And short flax fibers can be blended with cotton or other fibers to make medical products such as bandages.