The first mention of linen and its use can be dated for several millennia. Some historians define its age as 5000 years. Its earliest use is Ancient Egypt. It was expensive material, so clothing and textiles could only be afforded to wealthy families, the Pharaoh's family and courtiers. Also, mummies of the pharaohs were wrapped in
linen .
Among the Slavic peoples, linen fabric became known somewhere in the 9th century. Due to the properties of plant fibers, textiles and clothes were both thin and durable, allowing them to be used for a long time. Unlike other countries, flax was not a luxury. Clothes could be seen among representatives of various social classes. The difference was in the thickness of the fibers, the finish and the presence of color of the fabric.
Since the time when Empress Catherine II allowed the export of linen threads outside the state, most of the weaving mills in Europe worked specifically on fibers grown in the Russian Empire.
Plant, growing conditions, distribution areas
Cultural flax, which is used for various industrial purposes, can be of various types. Basically, the culture is grown to produce seeds, fibers or oil. It is flax flax used for the production of fabrics. The stems from which the fibers are obtained may be different; the quality of the obtained threads depends on them.
Flax is moody in cultivation. It is best to grow the plant in regions with a temperate climate and non-black soil. The culture is very demanding on the composition of the soil, mineral fertilizers in it and the weather - precipitation during the ripening period can ruin the entire crop. In this case, seedlings appear even in early spring, at a temperature of + 4-5 degrees, and can withstand frosts up to -4 degrees. From the appearance of the first sprouts to the harvest of flax, 68 to 84 days pass. In Russia, culture is grown in various fields, in areas that number in the thousands of hectares. But very little land is given for cultivating a variety that provides the best raw materials for the production of thin fabrics. Therefore, the products are quite expensive.
Flax fiber production and processing
To obtain the highest quality and finest fibers, there is a certain harvesting period, since the finer the raw material obtained, the better the linen cloth. The stems of the plant should be light yellow in color, the seed boxes in green. Flax is collected along with the roots and soaked so that the necessary fibers are separated without obstruction from the rest of the tissues. Then it is dried and sent to production.
Further processing is not very different from that used in antiquity. Flax is wrinkled, teased and combed. Only in modern factories such operations are performed by machines.
How is linen fabric made?
The production of linen fabrics is quite expensive for several reasons. First of all, this is the complexity of processing plants. In addition, flax flax can be of different grades, and the quality of the fabric and the complexity of production directly depend on this. Linen fabric may be thin or thick, coarse or smooth, depending on the length of the obtained plant fibers.
After the crop is harvested, the raw material goes to the flax processing plants. After processing on a bobbin machine, a long and short fiber is obtained, which, although considered waste, is used to produce such a product as coarse linen.
The resulting yarns are checked according to their technical specifications with state standards and distributed for further processing. Long fibers are used to make fabrics in the textile industry. From tows, bases for decoration materials and floor coverings are excellently obtained. Fiber waste that does not meet any of the standards is used in construction as tow.
Types of Tissues
Linen fabric is divided into technical and household. However, the former are produced in larger quantities than the latter, since cheaper substitutes from chemical fibers or nonwoven materials have been found. They can be pure linen or mixed in content. To do this, they are added cotton, viscose, dacron.
Depending on the purpose, linen is divided into towels, dining rooms, canvas, costume and dress, bortovka, canvas, bedding and linen. For sewing clothes use such as a cambric, bortovka, gunny, Kolomonok, fine linen. Canvases for drawing are made of equinox and canvas. For upholstery, teak and damask are used. Overalls, shoes, travel accessories are made of canvas.
Properties of linen fabrics
Despite the variety of fabrics and materials from which they are made, flaxseed remains in demand. This is due to its features and qualities. First of all, it is worth noting the high hygroscopicity of the tissue: it absorbs moisture perfectly. Thanks to the use of linen clothes, heat shock, or, more simply, overheating, can be avoided. The fabric perfectly cools in the heat and warms in the cold. In addition, it does not accumulate static electricity, which positively affects overall well-being.
All the properties of linen fabric can be listed for a long time, which is worth its ability to inhibit pathogens. It acts as an antiseptic, therefore it is not only environmentally friendly, but also very hygienic. In addition, linen does not cause allergies, which allows its use for children's textiles, medicine and in those places where an increased level of sterility is required.
All things that use the fibers of this plant have a long service life, are easy to care for and wear well. Clothing made of flax does not turn yellow, and eventually only bleaches.
A fly in the ointment
The biggest disadvantage of linen fabric is that it is very difficult to iron after washing. However, the process can be simplified by ironing slightly damp items or using a steam iron. It is better to store clothes made of such material on a hanger in a wardrobe, rather than in a closet on a shelf. Then things will last longer.