Flax fibre cleaning for the SWM processing facility

将开展一个为期六个月的项目，为SWM国际公司开发一条亚麻纤维清洗生产线。该公司加工亚麻和使用纤维制造特殊纸制品已有60多年的历史。目前，SWM正在为其亚麻纤维产品开拓新的市场，如生物复合材料和生物医学应用。为了满足这些应用的要求，SWM需要提高其纤维的纯度。这已成为该公司的优先事项，该公司采取的第一步是升级目前位于马尼托巴省卡曼的永久去皮质设施(PDF)。目前来自PDF的纤维产品的纯度约为70%，即纤维产品含有70%的纤维和30%的SHIVE。目标是将产品纯度提高到90%。为了实现这一目标，需要重新设计PDF中的纤维清洗流程。拟议项目的目标是开发一条可适应现有PDF的纤维清洗线。在拟议的项目中，来自SWM的加工纤维将通过纤维和SHIVE含量以及颗粒分布来表征。实验室规模的清洁设备(如振动筛振动器、球磨机、滚筒机、旋转式清选机、梳棉机和气流辅助设备)将进行审查和选择进行测试。测试将在每台单独的机器和这些机器的组合上进行。生成的纤维纯度将在测试期间进行测量。根据试验结果，通过设计分析，选择出一套最佳的设计参数，使纤维纯度最高，能耗最低。这些设计参数将提交给SWM用于他们的PDF。SWM的工程师将参与计划书中描述的所有项目活动。因此，该设计可以很容易地用于PDF的升级。通过这个项目，UM将与SWM在亚麻纤维加工领域进行接触。该计划是在未来的大型项目和更广泛的领域中继续这种伙伴关系。

A six month project will be carried out to develop a flax fibre cleaning line for SWM International. The company has been processing flax and using fibre for making special paper products for more than 60 years. Currently, SWM is exploring new markets for their flax fibre products, such as biocomposite and biomedical applications. To meet the requirements of these applications, SWM needs to improve the purity of their fibre. This has become the company's priority, and the initial step taken by the company is to upgrade the current Permanent Decortication Facility (PDF), located in Carman, Manitoba. The current fibre product from the PDF has approximately 70% purity, i.e. the fibre product contains 70% fibre and 30% shive. The goal is to increase the product purity to 90%. To achieve this goal, the fibre cleaning process within the PDF needs to be redesigned. The objective of the proposed project is to develop a fibre cleaning line which can be adapted to the existing PDF. In the proposed project, the processed fibre from SWM will be characterised in their contents of fibre and shive as well as particle size distributions. Lab-scale cleaning equipment (e.g. vibratory screen shaker, ball mill, tumbler, rotary picker, carder, and airflow assistance) will be reviewed and selected for testing. Tests will be conducted on each individual machine and combinations of these machines. The resultant fibre purity will be measured during the tests. Based on test results and through design analysis, a set of optimal design parameters which gives the highest fibre purity and lowest energy requirement will be selected. Those design parameters will be proposed to SWM for their PDF. SWM's engineers will participate in all project activities as described in the proposal. Thus, the design can be readily used for upgrading the PDF. Through this project, UM will engage with SWM in the area of flax fibre processing. The plan is to continue the partnership into the future in large scale projects and in broader areas.