From Seed, Fiber, and Shive

End Use Opportunities from the Flax Plant

Every part of the flax plant carries commercial value. This page is a growing starter list of possible end-use products from seed, long-line fiber and tow, and shive.

One Plant. Three Product Streams.

The Three Parts of the Flax Plant

A living list of possible products and end uses. The flax plant can be separated into seed, long-line fiber and tow, and shive — each part opening different commercial pathways.

Plant Breakdown

Seed, Long-Line / Tow, and Shive

These three streams can support food, textile, construction, agriculture, paper, composite, and energy markets.

1

Seed

Seed end uses include oils, foods, supplements, coating inputs, meal, feed, and whole seed ingredients.

Cold-pressed linseed oil

Cold-pressed linseed oil

Omega-3 foods and supplements

Omega-3 foods & supplements

Industrial drying oils

Industrial drying oils

Coatings paint and alkyd inputs

Coatings, paint & alkyd inputs

Flaxseed meal and feed ingredients

Flaxseed meal / feed ingredients

Whole seed ingredients

Whole seed ingredients

2

Long-line / Tow

Long-line fiber and tow can support textile, technical, composite, paper, biomedical, geotextile, and nonwoven markets.

Linen apparel and home textiles

Linen apparel & home textiles

Technical fabrics

Technical fabrics

Composite reinforcement

Composite reinforcement

Filtration media

Filtration media

Fine paper and specialty paper

Fine paper & specialty paper

Wound dressings and biomedical materials

Wound dressings / biomedical materials

Geotextiles

Geotextiles

Insulation nonwovens rope and cordage

Insulation, nonwovens, rope & cordage

3

Shive

Shive end uses include bedding, mulch, insulation, concrete aggregate, soil products, boards, bioenergy, and texture media.

Horse and pet bedding

Horse & pet bedding

Landscape mulch

Landscape mulch

Blown-in insulation

Blown-in insulation

Concrete and hempcrete style aggregate

Concrete / hempcrete-style aggregate

Soil amendments and potting mixes

Soil amendments & potting mixes

Particleboard and MDF

Particleboard / MDF

Biofuel and biochar feedstock

Biofuel & biochar feedstock

Texture media for plaster and paper

Texture media for plaster and paper

Growing Opportunity List

This list can keep expanding as new end-use ideas are added.

TextilesCompositesPapersPackagingFiltersMedical MaterialsInsulationBeddingMulchConcreteBoardsBiofuelCoatingsFeed
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