A Flax-Linen

Glossary
A Flax-Linen Glossary

A F
Artificial/man-made cellulosic fibres: Federation:
Fibres made of natural materials that are usually An association of trade unions or companies under
renewable. Wood cellulose has given rise to viscose, one authority.
lyocell and modal, and, more recently, processes
were developed for bamboo and corn.
Flax fibre:
A stem contains 30 to 40 bundles of fibres arranged
longitudinally. Each bundle (known as “technical fibres”

B in spinning) is made up of 10 to 40 fibres and may include

a certain proportion of lignins (2-5% of the dry matter)
Bast (see bast fibres): deposited at the end of maturation. Each fibre is an
Elongated cells found between the outer bark and individual cell of 6 to 10 centimetres, with a diameter
the woody stem of the Flax plant. of 7-40 μm, of which 70-80% is made of cellulose.

Baling: Flax sliver:

Flax retting is followed by baling, the last stage of Glossy ribbons produced by hackling.
the harvest. The swaths are rolled up into round bales,
while maintaining the parallel positioning of the stems,
allowing the bales be unrolled during scutching
for yarn extraction.
G
Gathering:
Bast fibres: The last stage of the Flax harvest when the bales of Flax are
With their remarkable properties such as durability and collected for storage before delivery to scutching mills.
flexibility, Flax and Hemp fibres are the elongated cells

H
(bast) found between the outer bark and the woody core
of the stem. These fibres are released by retting.

Blending: Hackling:
Hackled rovings of Flax fibres from different batches, A specific operation for scutched long fibres. The
regions, and even harvests are blended together. fibres are laid out in parallel and calibrated in soft,
This process is similar to that used for champagne or cognac glossy strands to prepare them for use in wet spinning.
and draws on the properties of each batch to produce a The coproducts of hackling, the short fibres which are
uniform yarn of consistent and homogeneous quality. known as hackled tow, are used in dry spinning.

C I
Composites: Inter-branch organisation:
Combinations of several materials. Their synergy creates Inter-branch agricultural organisations are founded
a new material that has superior properties to any of its because of a desire by different links in the industry chain
constituents. to become involved in addressing collective issues and
challenges at the stages of production, processing and
Confederation:
sales, including distribution.
A group of associations or federations.
Source: Ministry of Agriculture of France

Intimate blend:
Blending a mix of fibres to produce a yarn (eg wool fibre
and Flax fibre).

3
 A Flax-Linen Glossary

L P
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): Product Environmental Footprint (PEF):
The compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs The goal of the PEF method, initiated by the European
and potential environmental impacts of a product system Union, is to develop a rigorous common method for
throughout its life cycle. (ISO 14040:2006). measuring product environmental footprint.

Linoleum: Pulling:
Patented in 1863 by the English inventor Frederick Pulling is the first stage of the harvest and takes place
Walton, this antibacterial, waterproof and easy-to- when the Flax stalks have reached maturity. Flax is
maintain flooring, is made of homogenized flaxseed oil pulled to preserve the fibres in the lower part of the stem.
on a cork base. Flax pullers pinch the stems halfway from the ground
and pull them out as they move forward, placing the Flax
Linum usitatissimum: on the ground in swaths or windrows.
The botanical name of Flax. Flax is extremely useful,
as its textile fibres can be used to produce many derivative
products: linseed oil (soaps, cosmetics, paint, printing
ink, etc.) and fibres (paper pulp), among others. When it
R
comes to the Flax plant, everything is used! Retting:
The first natural step in the transformation of the

M plant into fibre after the Flax stalks have been pulled
and laid in the field in swaths. The retting process
occurs through a combination of moisture (rain, dew),
Mixed plied yarn: sun, and microorganisms in the soil, whereby enzymes
A pure Linen yarn twisted with a different type of yarn
breakdown the natural glues between the fibres and
(such as cotton).
the woody part of the plant. This stage helps facilitate
Métis : the mechanical extraction of fibres during scutching.
Fabric made with cotton warp and Linen weft.
Roving :
Metric number = Nm Semi-finished product made of natural Flax fibre with
Flax yarn measurement unit (see word Yarn count). high tensile strength used in the form of continuous
technical Flax fibres used in composite material

N
structures.

Natural fibres:
Plant (e.g. cotton, Flax and Hemp) or animal (e.g. wool,
S
cashmere and silk) textile fibres that do not require Scutching:
significant processing. The separation of the components of Flax straw, short fibres,
long fibres, shives and seeds, through mechanical crushing
and threshing. Can take place throughout the year.

Shives:
The wooden parts of the Flax plant extracted during
scutching. Shives account for about 50% of Flax straw
and are used as bedding for horses, in mulching, to make
particle boards and as fuel for heating.

4
A Flax-Linen Glossary

Spinning: Weaving:
Spinning includes various operations for processing Type of fabric construction: warp threads are kept in
fibres into yarn. Homogenized and stretched, the rovings tension on the loom and a shuttle is used to pass weft
are twisted into strands through spinning. The techniques threads under and over the warp threads to achieve weave
are selected based on the type of yarn desired: patterns from plain weave – over under over under –
to more complicated designs.
• “Wet” spinning, which involves immersing the fibres in
water heated to 60°C, promotes the gliding of the fibres
and works well for fine yarn (clothing, household Linen,
etc.)
Y
• “Dry” spinning creates more rustic and thicker yarn for
Yarn count:
Flax spinning creates a broad variety of yarns categorised
use in furniture, ropemaking etc.
using a metric number (Nm). This number refers to
Swaths / windrows: the number of kilometres produced using 1 kg
After being pulled, Flax stalks are placed on the ground in of yarn. Higher numbers correspond to higher yarn
swaths or windrows to begin dew retting. (e.g., Nm 6 = 6 km per kilo for upholstery fabric;
Nm 39 = 39 km per kilo for light fabric used in clothing).
Synthetic fibres:
Fibres derived from petrochemicals, including polyester,
nylon, acrylic and elastane.
Z
T Zero waste:
100% of the products of the Flax plant are used up.

The European Scientific Committee (ESC)

of the Alliance: LONG
= + +
Eight experts from research fields combine their skills FIBRES Textile Fashion Home Technical
to provide an overview of the current situation and to (+ composites)
promote open innovation together with the European
Flax-Linen industry.
= + +
Technical textiles:
SHORT Textile Fashion Home Technical
Materials manufactured for their technical performance (+ composites)
and high quality (high mechanical, temperature, and FIBRES
even dielectric performance), allowing for adaptation
to multidisciplinary technical functions. These materials Paper products Insulation
are used in the most advanced technological fields:
space, aeronautics, rail, medical, maritime, construction
materials, chemical protection, sports equipment, etc. SHIVES
Construction Horticulture Bedding Energy

W
(particle board) (mulching) for animals (industrial heating)

Washed Linen:
Linen with an aged effect brought about by various SEEDS
Seed Oils
processes which give it a softer touch. (paint, solvents)
production

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