Flax fibers are amongst the oldest fiber crops in the world. dyed flax fibers found in a cave in Dzudzuana (prehistoric Georgia) have been dated to 30,000 years ago. The use of flax fiber in the manufacturing of cloth in northern Europe dates back to Neolithic times. Flax fiber is extracted from the bast or skin of the stem of the flax plant. Flax fiber is soft, lustrous and flexible. t is stronger than cotton fiber but less elastic.Coarser grades are used for the manufacturing of twine and rope. Flax fiber is also a raw material for the high-quality paper industry for the use of printed banknotes and rolling paper for cigarettes. ( source: www. wikipedia.org)
Flax fiber, of which linen cloth is woven, is a bast fiber which lies just under the outer bark of the flax plant. Under the microscope it appears to be a cylindrical fiber, with pointed ends, cellular in structure, with lines or cracks crossing at intervals along its length (see image below). The fibers vary from 12 to 36 inches in length. They have a high luster, are stronger than cotton fiber, but have no twist, and are not elastic. Flax fiber has an absorbent quality of 5 to 8 per cent, but may reach 20 per cent. It is the best conductor of heat of the four fibers. ( source: http://chestofbooks.com/business/clothing/Women-Design-Construction/Fibers-And-Their-Production.html)
fig: Flax fiber, magnified. (source: U. S. Dept. of Agriculture.)
fig: Internal structural organization of flax. Flax stem cross-section, showing locations of underlying tissues. Ep = epidermis; C = cortex; BF = bast fibres; P = phloem; X = xylem; Pi = pith. ( source: www.wikipedia.org)
fig: Flax fiber structure( img. source: http://www.agrofibrecomposites.com/process.htm)
fig: microscopic details of flax fibers ( source: Http://www.shroudstory.com/faq/turin-shroud-faq-16.htm)
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