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Feyging Ltd. |
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Flax of the Vikings When the Vikings settled in Iceland more than one thousand years ago they brought with them knowledge of flax cultivation, from various parts of the world. Evidence is found in the Sagas that flax was grown on Viking farms in some parts of Iceland and evidently the fibre was used for clothing. However centuries passed without any mentioning of this activity in the Icelandic history. Cultivation trials were made again in the 1950´s but it’s not until four years ago that new systematic trials started with agricultural and industrial activity in mind. Geothermal heat is a natural resource Soon the focus was set on the geothermal water and steam as a source for treating the crop in order to turn it into industrial raw material of stable and high quality. Geothermal water is abundant in Iceland and therefore it is possible to supply the vast quantities of warm water needed for water retting at a low price as well as using geothermal steam for drying and after treatment. This eliminates the need for expensive fuel or power to heat the water to the desired temperature for retting and drying. Feyging Ltd. This investigation resulted in the formation of the company Feyging Ltd. in 1999. The company has carried out systematic water retting trials in a co-operation with research institutes in Iceland and abroad. The aim is to develop a process based on utilisation of geothermal water and steam in order to stabilise and maximise the quality of linen fibres. The company has been retting locally grown flax as well as imported flax straw from traditional flax growing countries in Europe. This enables the company to keep a constant supply of quality fibre in large quantities. Water retting The conventional field- or dew retting has several shortcomings and various uncontrollable factors can affect the final quality of the fibre, although the bulk of available linen has been treated in this way. By controlling the retting conditions and the bacterial attack of the straw and fibre bundles the ultimate fibre quality can be improved to large extent and be made consistent, as far as this is possible with natural fibres. Controlled retting removes the non-cellulose substances such as pectin and lignin evenly and effectively leaving the ultimate fibres soft and clean. Water retting was widely practised in Europe several decades ago. However this method gradually disappeared as it was found to be too labour intensive, too costly and having ill effects on the environment. This, together with water shortage made farmers turn again to the dew-retting method although the risk of obtaining lower fibre quality or loosing the harvest, was higher. Gradually this has been accepted by the textile industry as “the standard method” to produce quality fibre as extensive fibre blending can compensate for the varied quality grades supplied by producers in different areas. New technology The technique employed by Feyging Ltd is based on the old water retting method. By re-designing the retting process and make it automatically controlled, using modern technology and handling equipment the process can be made economical as long as the end users appreciate the higher quality. However the process still depends on a stable water supply. The process is controlled by computers and is integrated into a continuous production line i.e. retting – rinsing – drying – scutching and can be extended with hackling process and sliver formation for spinning or integrated with nonwovens processes. Quality is the road sign In general, the demand for linen in textiles and nonwovens is subject to pricing, availability, fashion trends, product development, etc. Quality is playing an increasingly important role and becoming a major criterion. The industry requests better quality and higher productivity. The market is more segmented than ever before and new niches are constantly appearing. New market development for natural fibres largely depends on research of improved quality, efficient processing and competitiveness with other fibres, synthetic and man-made. The objective of Feyging Ltd is to work constantly on improving the properties, quality and handle of linen fibres for use in textiles and other applications and be leading in supply of fibre with consistent quality. Linen is a dignified material and certainly will keep its outstanding position amongst natural fibres in the future. Linen and the environment Global concern about the environment and stringent regulations regarding waste disposal call for a new way of thinking. New applications and markets for natural fibres are sourced through continuous research and development. There is already a fast moving trend to use biodegradable and environment friendly materials. Eco-fibre is a term which is increasingly used in this context and applies well to linen. New products for various end uses are being developed “every day”. This can be seen within different sectors in industry, such as the automotive-, construction, furniture, composite and paper industry. Bast fibres are used in agri- and horticulture, they are used for sanitary products, medical applications, in sports equipment and many more. The main criteria in all those fields can be summarised as consistency in quality. Linen fibre for the new millenium By using natural resource as the geothermal water Feyging Ltd is retting flax in eco-friendly manner maximising the linen quality and making it consistent. In this way the company will meet the requirements of industries and markets in the new millennium, where comfort and elegance of natural fibres and concern about our environment will be the big issue. For inquiries please contact: Mr. K. Eysteinsson. |
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