CAN FLAX BE SPUN?

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3816, 10 July 1928, Page 2

CAN FLAX BE SPUN?

EXPERIMENTS AT HOME,

REPORTS NOT ENCOURAGING.

With a view to producing from New Zealand flax (Phormium Tenax) a spin liable produce, various experiments have recently been carried out at the Technical College, Bradford, England, and some observations on these have been sent to the Department’ of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Mr Malin Smith, head of the biological side of the college, reports in these terms:—

“New Zealand flax is a leaf fibre and botanically is quite removed from either tlax or hemp, which are stem fibres. It is, I think, unfortunate that it is called either ‘flax’, or ‘hemp,’ as the inference is easily made that it needs similar treatment to those fibres, whereas its properties really need independent investigation. It is used at present mainly for binder-twine and ropemaking, though as it lias a very poor resistance to water, it cannot be used for ships’ cables or any rope which will be frequently wet. The main obstacle to its use as a soft spinnable fibre is the large proportion of lignin which is present, laid down on the underlying cellulose. In this respect it resembles hemp, jute, and sisal hemp, the latter another leaf fibre of the same botanical family. It is a woody fibre, and the woody property, which makes it harsh in the handle, is very, difficult to get rid of. Improvement in the methods of production to get rid of the woody matter is mainly a matter for the chemist. If it could be got rid of, one would expect a cellulose fibre something like true flax, but with distinct properties. The ultimate fibres are about the same diameter as those of true flax, but are only about one-third of their length. On the other hand, they are about three times as long as those of jute. It might be explored as a basis for artificial silk, but this would require the removal of the lignin or woody matter aitd at present there are materials e.g., spruce wood and cotton waste, which are preferable. This particular sample shows a much stronger reaction with reagents testing for cellulose and a less marked one with those for lignin than is usually the case, and it may be that its method of preparation is already improving on right lines. At the same time, it is still too harsh and woody to make a. useful spinnable fibre.”

jProfessor Midgley, head of thd Department of Textile Industries in the college, expresses the opinion that even if the outer bark could be eliminated by some process such as retting it is very doubtful whether the fibre, which is exceedingly fine and tender, could be manipulated by the flax wet spinning process. Like jute, ib might be used for ropes, packing, and as foundation cloth for cai’pets. Samples were sent to Professor Bradbury, who is head of the Flax Spinning Department of the College of Technology in Belfast. His report was as follows: “This fibre is not suitable for manipulation into thread on flax preparing machinery. The proposition of wet spinning of this fibre is not at all feasible. The material can be made into strands suitable for coarse sacking or binder twine, . similar to the example enclosed herewith, but it would have to be traced on rope preparing and gill spinning machinery. A few months ago, we received a similar fibre to this, and were able to make it into a continuous sliver but could not spin it because we had not a gill spinning frame.” Other inquiries are being made, and the Department expects shortly to receive further information.