Comparison of Spanish broom (Spartium junceum L.) and flax (Linum usitatissimum) fibre

After a long break, Spanish broom gained interest as a natural, sustainable and renewable fibre for textile and technical applications. This paper describes the characterization of Spanish broom fibres (Spartium junceum L.) in comparison to the flax fibres (Linum usitatissimum). Spanish broom fibres were obtained by two different methods of maceration and some of the most significant chemical and physical properties of tested fibres are reported. Scanning electron microscopy has proven to be a useful tool for the determination of morphological characteristics of elementary and technical fibres. Other physical-chemical properties of fibres were determined by infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), fineness and tensile strength methods.