Development of 100% Linseed Flax Yarns with Improved Mechanical Properties and Durability for Geotextiles Applications

Due to the ever-growing demand for bast fibres for technical and garment textiles, complementary sources to textile flax, whose cultivation in western Europe cannot really be extended, need to be proposed. In this study, the interest in harvesting and processing linseed flax straw is studied for geotextile applications. The main critical stages of fibre-to-yarn production for geotextiles were investigated. Different dew retting levels as well as different all-fibre extraction processes were investigated to achieve this objective. It was demonstrated that the fibres extracted from linseed flax stems subjected to 12 weeks of dew retting using breaking rollers, thresher and a breaking card exhibited the most suitable morphological and mechanical properties. The optimal fibres were converted into 100% linseed flax yarns using a flyer spinning machine, and the mechanical properties as well as the biodegradability of the linseed yarns were evaluated to understand their potential as geotextiles. These linseed flax yarns were further coated with linseed oil or chitosan to enhance their durability. It was observed that the linseed oil coating better preserved the yarn’s integrity and mechanical properties over time, and it permitted doubling their service life potential.