X-Ray Diffraction Azimuthal Peak Deconvolution for Climate-Impacted Bast Fiber Sourcing Verification
Azimuthal XRD peak deconvolution isolates microfibril angle and crystallite alignment, exposing climate-degraded bast fibers before mill processing.
Drought Stress
Agricultural Condition
Environmental conditions where soil moisture falls below the level required for normal plant transpiration restrict the biological growth of the crop. This water deficiency is drought stress, which alters the physical development of the flax plant during its vegetative stage.
Fibre Growth
In flax cultivation, the cell walls of the bast fibres thicken during the stem elongation period, which requires a steady supply of moisture. When the plant experiences drought stress, this thickening is interrupted, resulting in thinner fibre walls and shorter straw length. This produces a higher percentage of short fibres during the scutching and hackling stages, reducing the overall yield of long line fibre.
The mill recorded moisture levels and stem measurements from the affected harvest to anticipate the quality of the incoming raw material.
Spinning Impact
Spinning mills that process fibre from dry crop years must adjust their machinery to handle the increased fragility of the raw flax. Yarn spun from crops affected by drought stress possesses lower tensile strength and is more prone to breaking on the spinning frames. This forces the mill to use slower processing speeds and to blend the weak fibre with better batches to achieve acceptable yarn quality.
The final yarn logs show that such blends result in more uneven surfaces and a higher frequency of defects in the woven cloth.