Standard Moisture Regain Determination in Scutched Flax Fibre
Standard moisture regain in scutched flax fibre is set at 12.0% of bone-dry mass using ISO 6741-1 forced-convection oven drying at 105 degrees Celsius.
EN 12751 Sampling Plan
Lot Selection
Standardized international quality procedures specify systematic protocols for extracting representative specimen units from commercial consignments of raw textile fibres. The EN 12751 sampling plan governs the mathematical selection of primary, secondary, and laboratory test samples to ensure statistical validity across bulk lots. This standard stops applying once bulk fibre has been blended into sliver, roving, or spun yarn forms.
Specimen Protocol
Implementing the standardized selection procedure requires dividing a commercial consignment of scutched or hackled flax into distinct homogeneous sampling units. Technicians extract designated masses from individual bales at defined spatial locations, combining these subsamples to generate a composite bulk sample without inducing mechanical fibre damage. The EN 12751 sampling plan dictates the reduction of this composite sample through successive dividing stages until the target mass for physical testing is reached.
Testing laboratories perform moisture determination, fibre length analysis, and tensile measurements on the resulting specimen aliquots.
Procurement Arbitration
Import consignments of European flax arriving at Chinese spinning facilities undergo verification testing based on this standardized sampling regime. Disputes regarding fibre fineness, non-fibrous impurity content, or commercial weight rely on the rigorous execution of these extraction protocols. Deviation from the prescribed sampling sequence invalidates subsequent commercial claims between flax suppliers and processing mills.
Standardized sampling ensures that laboratory test certificates reflect the physical parameters of the entire commercial lot.