FABRICATION AND EVALUATION OF A MACHINE FOR SEPARATING FIBER FLAX

Abstract

Flax stalks usually considered a waste product which may be utilized by separation into marketable fiber and shive. The fiber can be used for applications such as composites and paper. Separation of traditional long line fiber from fiber flax stalks is a rigorous and expensive process that requires the stalk to be biologically degraded (retted) befor processing. A local machine for removing flax fiber from chopped seed flax straw has been manufactured at a private workshop in kafr El-sheikh Governorate during summer season of 2015. The manufactured machine consists of three main devices namely: feeding and breaking device, scutching and hackling device and cleaning device. The manufactured machine has been evaluated under three straw moisture contents of 10.2, 13.2and 15 %, three deram schell speeds of 500, 650 and 800 rpm and five feeding roller speeds of 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5and 3 m/s. The Separation efficiency, fiber longth and fineness, machine Productivity, consumed Energy, and quality of fiber were studied. The obtained results can be summarized as follows: The maximum separation efficiency of flax fiber (82.13%) and fiber fineness (191.6 mm/mg) was obtained at straw moisture content 0f10.2%, feeding roller speed of 1m/sec and derma schell speed of 800 r.p.m . The fiber Length (92.8cm) was obtained at straw moisture content of 10.2%, feeding roller speed of 1m/sec and derma schell speed of 500 r.p.m. The lowest value of energy consumption was (1 kw) recorded at straw moisture content of10.2%, feeding roller speed of1m/s and dearm schell speed of 500 r.p.m. It is recommended for the operators of the manufactured separation machine to operate it at straw moisture content of 10.2%, feeding roller speed of 1 m/s and derma schell speed of 800 r.p.m to obtain the optimum performance.