Glossary
Natural Fibers for the Reinforcement of Composite Materials

Swath

Alignment of flax stalks in a field after harvesting for ground retting.

Anas

Wood located in the center of the flax stem. This part is responsible for conducting raw sap (xylem) and elaborated sap (phloem). The shives are separated from the stem during the scutching process. They are mainly used to make chipboard and as litter or mulch.

Chenevotte

Wood located in the center of the hemp stalk (comparable to flax shives). Chenevotte is used as bedding, mulch and insulation for the building industry (a mixture of chenevotte and lime).

Flax tow and yarn

The scutching operation extracts the fibers from the stalks. The fibers are classified according to the presentation of the bundles into "long fibers" (tow) and...