Loom-State Commodity
Woven bast material taken off the loom without scouring, desizing, bleaching or finishing constitutes a standardized intermediate textile product. Chemical composition of greige linen fabric includes high proportions of natural pectins, hemicelluloses, lignin residues and warp size formulations that stiffen the weave. Surface appearance exhibits variable natural tan or grey coloration inherited from agricultural retting conditions across raw flax supply lots.
Fabric mass per unit area and pick density measured in this raw state serve as baseline parameters for all downstream chemical finishing calculations.
Structural Assessment
Quality inspection of freshly woven pieces identifies weaving defects such as mispicks, reed marks, warp floats and slub clusters before finishing alterations obscure their origins. Because bast fibres lack synthetic elasticity, greige linen fabric retains significant internal mechanical strain imparted during high-tension shedding and beat-up actions. Laboratory technicians perform desize wash tests on cut swatches to measure starch sizing pick-up and determine dry yarn linear density.
Dimensional measurements taken at the roll take-up frame document true off-loom width and selvage construction integrity. Mill grading protocols assign point penalties to visual faults according to international four-point fabric inspection systems.
Conversion Criteria
Downstream finishing mills establish acceptance criteria for raw rolls to ensure predictable shrinkage and uniform dye uptake during batch processing. Receiving audits evaluate greige linen fabric for uniform moisture distribution, presence of insoluble mineral oil spots and consistency of warp tension across the roll width. Export shipments destined for overseas dyeing houses require detailed packing lists accompanied by verified yarn composition and strength test reports.
Moisture content must remain within strictly specified ranges to avoid mold formation and fiber degradation during container transport. Technical data sheets specify nominal yarn counts in Lea or metric units alongside minimum tensile and tear strength thresholds in both weave directions. Meeting these structural criteria guarantees that the raw woven linen responds uniformly to industrial scouring, bleaching and sanforizing operations.
