Flax fibre

53.01 - Flax, raw or processed but not spun; flax tow and waste (including yarn waste and garnetted stock) (+). 530 1.10 - Flax, raw or retted - Flax, broken, scutched, hackled or otherwise processed, but not spun : - - Broken or scutched 5301.29 - - Other 5301.30 - Flax tow and waste 5301.21 Flax exists in many varieties, the best known bein Linum usiiatissimum. Flax (or linen) fibres occur in the lant as corn act bundles of bast he1 together with a pectic substance. For use in the textile inf;ustry, the fi res must be separated fiom each other and fiom the rest of the plant, particularly from the inner woody part. % d This heading covers flax, raw, retted, scutched, hackled or otherwise processed but not spun. (A) Raw flax (flax straw). This is flax as harvested, whether or not rippled or bolled (i.e., with leaves and seeds removed). (B) Retted flax. Retting eliminates most of the pectic substance which surrounds the fibres, either by fermentation (by the action of bacteria or mould) or chemically. This process is normally effected either by : (1) exposing the plant to dew or damp; (2) immersing the plant in gently running streams or rivers, or in the stagnant water of ditches or pools; (3) immersing it in warm water in large tanks; or (4) treating it with steam or with chemical or microbic agents. Retted flax is then dried in the open air or mechanically. The fibres are then sufficiently loosened from the inner woody part of the plant and fkom one another to be separated by breaking and scutching. (C) Scutched flax. The flax is first crushed to break the woody part into pieces. It is then scutched, i.e., the woody part is knocked out by hand or mechamcally, leaving the flax fibres. Some tow and waste is produced during this process. (D) Cottonised flax. In this process the raw flax is first boiled in a solution of sodium hydroxide and then impregnated with sodium carbonate; it is then treated with dilute acid, when the stalks are disintegrated by the liberation of carbon dioxide, leaving the flax fibres fiee. Flax so treated does not require retting or scutching. Cottonised flax is generally bleached. (E) Hackled (combed) flax. ) Flax tow and waste (including yarn waste and garnetted stock). Tow consists generally of flax wastes of different qualities suitable for spinning; it consists mainly of short, knotted, broken or tangled fibres obtained during the various processes such as scutching, hackling (combing) and spinning. r The headin also covers yarn waste obtained during the s iming, reeling or weavin operations, and waste ibres obtained by tearing up waste pieces o fabric or made up artic es lnto their constituent fibres; these are generally intended for re-spinning into yams. f !€ In view of the shortness of their component fibres, tow and other waste intended for s inning are usually carded and not hackled (combed). The slivers and rovings obtained after caring are also covered by this heading. This heading also covers wastes unsuitable for s inning into yarns, mainly obtained from the scutching or carding operations, and used as pad ng or stuffing, as a bindmg in mortars, or as raw material in the manufacture of certain kinds of paper. & The products referred to above remain in this heading whether or not they have been bleached or dyed. The heading excludes : (a) Broken woody pieces arising from the scutching operations (heading 44.01). (b) Certain fibrous vegetable materials sometimes known as flax, e. ., Indian flax (Abroma augusta) (heading 53.03) and New Zealand hemp or flax (Phonnium renar)fheading 53.05).