Nontraditionally Retted Flax for Dry Cotton Blend Spinning

Extracting flax fibers from the stems of Linum usitatissimum plants has traditionally been a costly, labor-intensive process, largely restricted to Europe and Asia. The naturally long, strong fibers are typically processed on wet spinning machines that are not available in the United States. However, the resurgent popularity of flax has promoted an interest in devising more economical methods of producing and processing the fibers domestically. This preliminary study investigates the use of flax fibers extracted by mechanical, chemical, and enzymatic retting as well as traditional (dew) retting methods. The experimental fibers show promise for spinning on common cotton machinery in blends with cotton. The research has produced a series of medium-count, experimental apparel-grade yarns with an attractive appearance and acceptable hand. With refinement, chemical or enzyme retting can perhaps become an ecologically sound and cost effective method of producing flax fibers.