Flax is one of the oldest known textile plants in the world. Its Latin name is ‘Linum Usitatissimum’. Linum stands for the fabric that can be made from this plant, i.e. linen. Usitatissimum means: very useful. Flax is an arable crop which grows extremely well on the clay soils in the Netherlands (Zeeland), Belgium and Northern France, in combination with the prevailing climate. In essence there are two types: linseed and flax. Linseed is used to produce oilseeds, better known as linseed oil.

Flax, on the other hand, is grown primarily for the production of linen and yarns (long fibres). It is mainly used in garments, and table and bed linens. This production and processing process, produces various by-products:

• such as the medium-length fibres, which are not only used in the textile industry (blended yarns) but also in the production of insulation materials for the construction industry;
• the short fibres, which are largely used as a raw material for paper (on account of their high tear strength);
• and the wood-like particles (flax shives). Up until the mid-Nineteen Fifties these wood-like particles were generally destroyed, but ever since then they have been pressed into solid panels.

Good building physical properties
These solid panels are used in the construction industry for the interiors of buildings, for example, in doors, kitchen worktops and partition walls. Faay uses these ‘flax straw’ panels, as a basis for their walls. The solid flax core guarantees a very high degree of sustainability.

Flax is light-weight and fire-retardant. It has a tough structure and does not burn, but smoulders instead. Flax furthermore has high insulation and dB values. The flax chipboard panels are 100% biodegradable and 100% recyclable as part of the process. Faay’s flax walls can be supplied in various heights and thicknesses and offer many possibilities in new developments, refurbishments and transformations. For retail, industrial premises and homes.

FSC on flax please!
When it comes to sustainable building, in particular, construction materials made from renewable raw materials – such as flax – are a very interesting option. On top of that the environmental impact involved in the production of flax is low. That is because flax absorbs CO2 and converts it into oxygen while it is growing and it has a low energy content during the processing process which means its environmental impact is low. The local growing and processing of flax furthermore reduces polluting transport to a minimum.

Want to know more about flax? Download Faay’s Flax Whitepaper