En Company Products Trading Quality Control News Contact Short staple ring and rotor spinning In order to blend linen with cotton and artificial fibers, the long-staple flax or tow has to be shortened and refined so as to make it correspond to the fiber characteristics of cotton. This is called "cottonising". Mechanical and/or chemical operations are used in this process. For spinners purchasing cottonized linen/flax is still a very difficult job since no universal quality standards have yet been set for the linen fibre. The fiber characteristics of linen vary according to the type of flax, the climate, growing conditions, soil composition and micro climate. So it takes more than mechanical operations to produce cottonised fibers. Being a fully independent company not growing flax ourselves , we are free to select the best qualities in the traditional Western European flax growing countries , viz Belgium, France and Holland. This independence also implies that we stock fibers from specific crops, years or regions. The flax growers' interests do indeed not always match those of the processors of fine flax. Flax growers are interested in increasing their yield per hectare, whereas we give full priority to the fiber quality, i.e. its splittability into finer fibers, its homogeneous colour, its cleanliness. We obtain cottonised fibers of a homogeneous quality by blending them in different stages of the production. This approach has allowed us to offer for over 40 years standard qualities respecting: thickness, cleanliness and shades . Steps in the processing cycle Selection of raw materials in Belgium, France and Holland Precarding and blending Carding Gilling Cutting, dust extraction, baling of staple cut fibre not cottonized Staple cut fibre Opening / blending Medium or full cottonising Dust extraction Baling of cottonized fibres In each stage of the process the basic fiber structure is respected and the required "linen-look" preserved. Flax is more difficult to spin than cotton owing to its weaker fiber-to-fiber adhesion. This can be explained by the different structure of the micromolecules in the flax and cotton fiber walls, the flax micromolecules being linear whereas the cotton molecules have a spiral structure. Cottonised flax fibers are also coarser than cotton. Depending on the quality, they have an average micronaire between 4 and 8,5. The length of cottonised fibers is between 12 and 18 mm. Tops cut at 40 mm can yield average lengths of 22 to 25 mm. The spinning of linen blends will be problem-free if the preblending prior to carding has been carried out correctly. Thanks to the modern preparation equipment designed to obtain a homogeneous distribution of the fibers which will be fed into the cards, carding mixtures containing up to 55% linen give no problem if the right type of linen is chosen and if blending has been carried out correctly. Linen blends are carded at normal speed, so no special attention is required. The uniformity of linen-fiber content in the blend has to be perfect in order to assure the spinning efficiency on the cotton spinning system. We produce more than 600 tons/month of linen fiber meant for cotton spinning, in some 20 different types. So we can supply our customers with the fiber type which is best suited to their equipment and the end-use of the fabric. Fibre quality characteristics Fineness standard medium superior extra Cleanliness standard medium superior extra Colour natural water-retted (beige/brown) dew-retted (grey/brown) Chemical process boiled boiled and scoured bleached nautral white/ optical white dyed (40 standard colours) Through our wide range of qualities we aim to supply our customers with the fiber characteristics which will produce the yarn they require. Since the 1950s linen has progressively penetrated cotton spinning systems. Originally used as an "effect" fiber, it has become a favourite fiber for summerwear. Stylists all over the world select linen as an allround support, giving character to the fabric, attracted by its so popular "Linen Look". JOS VANNESTE S.A. - Kortrijksesteenweg 283 - B-8530 Harelbeke - Belgium +32 56 71.24.13 +32 56 71.12.85 (fax) info@jos-vanneste.com developed by