HOW TO PRODUCE LINEN FABRICS

How to produce Material

LINEN FABRICS

Linen is a very popular and much-needed textile. It is extracted from flax fibers. It is essentially used in the apparel and textile industries. It is almost like cotton but better because it is more absorbent and dries faster. The cool and freshness of the material makes it very convenient and can be used to make towels, garments, tunics, dresses, and shirts. Garments made of linen are desirable in hot and humid climates. Unlike cotton, which tends to retain moisture for a significant period of time, linen dries quickly, which helps reduce heat retention in overly warm conditions. Technically, linen is a vegetable.

TYPES OF LINEN FABRICS AND HOW TO PRODUCE MATERIAL

There are different types of linen, according to quality

1.  Damask Linen
2.  Plain-woven Linen
3. Loosely-woven Linen
4. Sheeting Linen

HISTORY ABOUT LINEN FABRICS

The Linen fabric prides itself on a long and rich history. There is insufficient proof of its prehistoric existence, but its history still dates back to thousands of years. flax fibers have been discovered in a cave in Georgia which dates back to 36,000 years ago, suggesting that ancient people used a material similar to linen. It was also used in ancient Egypt as a shroud to wrap mummies and also as daily wear because of the extreme heat. Linen fabric has not only been used for clothing, but also as tablecloths, bedsheets, and others for several centuries. The next piece of historical evidence of linen use comes from ancient dwellings that were built on Switzerland’s lakefronts around 10,000 years ago, and according to archaeologists, linen was first domesticated in ancient Mesopotamia. Later, Ireland became the center of European linen production, and by the 18th century, the town of Belfast became known as “Linenopolis” because of its thriving line trade. Linen remained popular throughout the colonial era, but as cotton production became cheaper and easier, the central role that linen used to hold within Europe’s textile economy gradually diminished.

PRODUCTION OF LINEN FABRICS

Linen is a very old fabric but it is not produced as widely as cotton. Mainly because of the tedious production processes and the additional care and attention needed by the flax plant. The linen threads are not elastic and therefore it is not easy to weave the linen threads without breaking them.To prepare for linen production, manufacturers of this fiber start by separating flax fibers from the woody interior of flax stems. Traditionally, this step has been accomplished by soaking raw flax stalks, but these days, manufacturers may use chemicals to achieve the same effect. Before flax fibers are spun into yarn, these chemicals are washed away, but residual toxic substances may remain on chemically-separated flax fiber.

1. PLANTING

Flax plants are ready for harvesting after about 100 days of growth. Since flax plants do not tolerate heat, they must be planted in the cooler part of the year to avoid crop death.

2. GROWTH

These days, flax seeds are usually sown with machines. Since flax plants don’t effectively prevent the incursion of weeds, herbicides and tilling are generally used to prevent reduced yields in flax crops.

3. HARVESTING

Once flax stems are yellow and their seeds are brown, these plants are ready to be harvested. While it’s possible to harvest flax by hand, machines are usually used for this process.

4. FIBER SEPARATION

After flax stalks are harvested, they are processed through a machine that removes leaves and seeds. Then, manufacturers separate flax’s fibrous outer stalk from its soft, woody interior. This process is called retting, and unless it is expertly accomplished, the delicate flax fibers used for textile production could be damaged.

5. BREAKING

Next, the decomposed stalks are broken up, which separates the unusable outer fibers of flax stalks from their usable inner fibers. To accomplish this step, the flax stalks are sent through rollers that crush them, and then rotating paddles remove the outer fibers from the stalks.

6. COMBING

Now that the inner fibers are separated from the other fibers, they can be combed into thin strands. Once the fibers have been combed, they will be ready for spinning.

7. SPINNING

Spinning of flax yarn used to be accomplished with a foot-powered flax wheel, but these days, flax producers use industrial machines for this process. To spin flax fibers, these short, combed fibers are connected with devices called spreaders, and the resulting strings, called rovings, are then ready to be spun.

8. REELING

After being spun on a spinning frame, the resulting yarn is reeled onto a bobbin. To ensure that flax yarn won’t fall apart, it’s necessary to perform this reeling process in wet, humid conditions, and the spun yarn is run through a hot water bath to further ensure yarn cohesion.

9. DRYING

Finally, flax manufacturers dry the finished yarn and reel it onto bobbins. The yarn is then ready to be dyed, treated, and made into apparel, homewares, or other types of textile products.

CONCLUSION

Linen is a great fabric to work with in the home or as a summer dress. The properties give you a long lasting fabric to be used anywhere and it will be protected, it just needs some basic aftercare and you will have a linen product for longer.

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