ENCIRCLING THE INDIAN TEXTILE WET PROCESSING INDUSTRY

Manufacturing Sustainable Bast Yarns Modern rotor spinning system from raw material to yarn

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Interest in bast fibers such as flax or hemp has recently increased as environmental movements have gained great popularity. Bast fibers are very versatile and valuable for textile and non-textile applications. Rieter offers tailor-made, economical solutions for processing bast fibers in short staple fiber spinning.

Bast fiber is a type of plant fiber that can be collected from the inner bark of plants such as flax, hemp or ramie. Linen (made of flax) is one of the oldest textiles developed, dating back nearly 10 000 years. With today’s increasing environmental awareness, textiles made of bast fibers are being rediscovered for everyday use as well as for luxury fabrics. Bast fibers are very sustainable. For the cultivation of flax, for example, very few pesticides are used and the water requirement is low (Fig. 1).

Flax – a fiber with a difference

Especially in summer, the advantages of linen clothing are obvious. The fabric absorbs moisture from the air and exchanges it with the ambient air. Thus, the fabric has a cooling effect and is still dry. An additional benefit of this water absorption is the antistatic effect. The linen fiber is very tear-resistant, so the fabric is hard-wearing and extremely durable. As a result, a linen garment can last for many years without damage.

Cottonization of bast fibers