engleski

INFLUENCE OF MATURATION ON THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF FLAX FIBRES

Flax fibres can be harvested in three stages of maturity. The first stage produces fibres for soft and fine fabric. When flax is at the second stage of maturity, fibres are finer and weaker since they contain a smaller proportion of lignin and cellulose. The maturation and growth of plant increases the proportion of lignin in flax fibres. Therefore, at the third stage of maturity, the fibres are usually coarse, less flexible, and therefore less attractive. This paper presents the investigation of the influence of maturation on chemical composition of flax fibres. The chemical composition was determined by estimation of the amount of ingredients soluble in water, wax and fats, pectin, holocellulose, lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose. The investigation was performed on technical flax fibres in three different stages of maturity: green, yellow and brown ripe. The results show that with increasing maturity of flax, the cellulose content decreases while the content of lignin increases.

flax fibres; chemical composition; maturity

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