Microscopic Unit
Microscopic building blocks of the flax stem determine the fundamental tensile properties of the resulting textile fiber. Each ultimate cell is a single spindle-shaped entity composed of cellulose and pectin with small amounts of lignin. Individual fiber cells found within the bundles of the flax plant constitute the primary structural component of the yarn.
These cells are far too small to be used individually and must remain in bundles for textile processing.
Physical Geometry
Dimensions of these units vary depending on the variety of the flax and the growing conditions. A typical ultimate cell measures approximately twenty to thirty millimeters in length and has a very narrow diameter. During the retting and scutching processes, the goal is to separate the bundles without breaking these individual cells.
If the ultimate cells are damaged, the resulting fiber will be weak and brittle. This microscopic integrity determines the final grade of the yarn during the wet spinning process.
Refinement Limit
Chemical processing in the spinning mill can further refine the bundles but cannot reduce the fiber below the size of a single cell. This ultimate cell represents the physical limit of fiber fineness for linen textiles. Attempts to further divide the fiber result only in the destruction of the cellulose chains and the loss of tensile strength.
