Studying quality characteristics of flax fiber depending on deseeding device design

Introduction. The processe of harvesting fiber flax is characterized by tough interactions of the work tools of the flax puller and parts of plants. Different principles and design of work tools for taking out seed bolls from the stem, used in flax harvesting machines, have both advantages and disadvantages. Single-drum comb deseeders are the most effective, but the level of damage to the stems caused during the working of these mechanisms is high. The purpose of this work is the experimental substantiation of constructive changes in the comb deseeder, which allows reducing damage to the stems of the flax fiber in the process of combing and improving the quality of the flax material. Materials and Methods. Fields and laboratories studies of flax harvesting and technological tests of flax straw and fiber were carried out according to the existing methods and standard protocols (GOST). The influence of the harvesting combine speed and deseeder type (the drum for the taking flax balls off by the stems' combing and for the transporting removed balls to hopper) on the yield and quality of the fiber were determined. The fiber flax variety Alexim (cultivated by All Russian Research Institute for Flax Production, Torzhok) was used as a plant object and the harvesting was carried out in the vegetation stage "yellow stem" - "full ripeness". Results. The classical design of the combing drum with four ridges for deseeding was changed to three ones that means only one of ridges should be in the layer of flax stems during the combing process. That design could decrease damage to the stems when deseeding stems. Instrumental assessment of fiber shows that after the deseeding by the three-ridges drum the quality of flax straw was 0.97-1.09 numbers that was by 0.19-0.28 numbers higher than after using four-ridges drums. Conclusions. The obtained data indicate that the reducing of the load on the flax stems has a positive effect on the quality of the fibrous products. The yield of long fiber increases by 1.27-1.54% (abs.), and the fiber quality - by 0.3 numbers.