Nasrin Aliasgharlou, Lozaalsadat Taghavi, Bolanle M. Babalola, Alvin Ulrich, Duncan Cree, Lee D. Wilson
Flax fibers continue to draw interest due to their unique physicochemical and mechanical properties, abundance, biodegradability, and low cost. As a renewable biomass, flax has been employed in various applications ranging from adsorbents to reinforcements in polymer composites. The wider adoption of flax fibers is envisaged by addressing some limitations, such as high moisture absorption and low interfacial adhesion within polymer matrices. This contribution presents an overview of flax fiber pretreatment and surface modification methods, with a view toward applications emphasizing filtration-based processes. A discussion of the role of fiber treatment processes on the physical and chemical properties of the fibers will be presented. The merits of these approaches for developing flax fiber filtration applications in water and air, with improved economic and environmental sustainability, will be outlined.