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Title: COTTON FLAX BLENDED NONWOVEN FABRICS WITH VALUE-ADDED PROPERTIES FOR INDUSTRIAL MARKETS

Author
item ANNIS, PATRICIA - UNIV. OF GEORGIA
item Akin, Danny
item Foulk, Jonn
item VAUGHN, EDWARD - CLEMSON UNIV.

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/20/2004
Publication Date: 6/1/2005
Citation: Annis, P., Akin, D.E., Foulk, J.A., Vaughn, E. 2005. Cotton flax blended nonwoven fabrics with value-added properties for industrial markets (ABSTRACT ONLY). Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conference, p. 2780.

Interpretive Summary: FIBERS FROM FLAX (LINUM USITATISSIMUM L.) ARE STIFF AND STRONG AND CAN BE PROCESSED INTO A NONWOVEN FABRIC. THE OVERALL AIM WAS TO EVALUATE NONWOVENS FORMED WITH VARIOUS LEVELS OF COTTON AND FLAX FIBERS. RESEARCH CONTINUES TO EVALUATE OPTIMUM LEVELS IN COTTON AND FLAX BLENDED NONWOVENS. NONWOVEN FABRIC PROPERTIES COULD BE TAILORED FOR OPTIMIZED USE.

Technical Abstract: A SERIES OF NONWOVEN FABRICS COMPOSED OF DIFFERENT RATIOS OF COTTON TO FLAX WERE MANUFACTURED USING A DRYLAID NEEDLEPUNCHING SYSTEM. THE PERCENTAGE OF COTTON WAS VARIED FROM 0% TO 100% TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF BLEND COMPOSITION AND FIBER QUALITY ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. BLENDING COTTON WITH FLAX IN NEEDLEPUNCHED NONWOVENS INCREASED TENSILE, TEARING AND BURSTING STRENGTH, AND INFLUENCED OTHER PROPERTIES NORMALLY AFFECTED BY A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF FLAX SUCH AS STIFFNESS, RESILIENCY, AND OIL REPELLENCY. THESE IMPROVED CHARACTERISTICS COULD CONTRIBUTE TO GREATER INDUSTRIALUSE OF LOWER GRADES OF COTTON AS WELL AS EXPAND POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPING MARKETS FOR TWO BIOBASED FIBERS. CONTINUE RESEARCH IS FOCUSED ON IDENTIFYING AN OPTIMUM BLEND LEVELAND FIBER QUALITY FOR VALUE ADDED INDUSTRIAL END USES.