A review on the development of rapid analytical techniques for assessing physical properties of modified linen fabric

The challenge of achieving good crease recovery (CR) performance for linen fabrics, without incurring unacceptably high reduction in abrasion resistance (AR), remains to be resolved. This publication reviews some of the research and the techniques employed in investigating the structural and chemical changes in flax fibers treated with crease recovery agents over the past eighty years. Also the decline of the linen industry in Europe is discussed to provide a background to this review. The techniques of spectroscopy and thermal analysis are discussed, with reference to multivariate analysis techniques, for predicting the fabric performance parameters, such as CR and AR. In addition, the possibilities of employing instrumental techniques during production are considered.