Company Planting 300 Acres of Fiber-Variety Flax in Kingstree, South Carolina; Commencing Growing
Trials as Part of the Initiative
PORTLAND, OR, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Naturally
Advanced Technologies Inc., (OTCBB: NADVF, TSXV: NAT), the
developers of the patented CRAiLAR(R) process, announced today that
they have created a sustainable, commercially viable complement to
cotton using flax as a raw material.
After successfully transforming hemp fibers into yarns and
fabrics with the desirable qualities of cotton, NAT stated it is
now engaged in a strategic shift to use flax fibers as the
foundation for the next phase of its proprietary CRAiLAR Organic
Fiber technology.
"This is an industry first," said Ken
Barker, CEO of Naturally Advanced Technologies. "With cotton
prices currently at 90 to 93 cents
per pound, flax is a cost-effective raw material for fiber
production. The productivity of our process using flax is twice as
efficient as it is with hemp, yielding nearly twice as much usable
fiber after going through the CRAiLAR process. Our recent spinning
trials with CRAiLAR-processed flax have been highly successful,
which further validates the feasibility of flax as a practical,
economically viable complement to cotton."
Flax is easy to grow with minimal use of herbicides, pesticides
and engineered irrigation and is abundant in the U.S. and
Canada, which significantly
reduces costs from a supply-chain perspective as compared to other
natural fibers. The CRAiLAR process can also be used with the stalk
portion of the oilseed flax plant - traditionally cultivated for
food and industrial applications - which would normally be
discarded during processing. Making use of this byproduct, in
addition to processing fiber-variety flax, further enhances
CRAiLAR's sustainability factor.
The all-natural, 100%-organic CRAiLAR process is the first to
successfully remove the binding agents from flax that contribute to
its stiff texture. The process bathes bast fibers in a proprietary
enzyme wash that transforms them into soft, yet strong and durable
textile fibers, which can be used in both fashion and industrial
applications. Fibers made through the CRAiLAR process have the
comfort and breathability of cotton, with the strength,
moisture-wicking properties and shrink-resistance of sturdy bast
fibers. NAT's recent trials have proven that flax can be spun on
existing machinery to produce a yarn that can be used alone or
blended with other fibers.
The company is in the advanced stages of developing partner
relationships with industry giants that produce goods with fashion
and industrial textiles. Spinning trials are currently
underway.
"The opportunity is tremendous" added Barker. "Our ability to
economically commercialize flax fibers in partnership with brands
who have such broad consumer bases means, for the first time,
sustainability can be affordable to everyone."
Naturally Advanced Technologies has scheduled a press-conference
call Thursday, Sept. 23, at
8 a.m. PDT, during which Barker will
provide an update on recent corporate developments, followed by a
question-and-answer session.
For more information on the patented CRAiLAR(R) process and
Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc., visit
www.naturallyadvanced.com.
About Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc.
Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc. is committed to unlocking
the potential of renewable and environmentally sustainable biomass
resources from hemp and other bast fibers. The Company, through its
wholly owned subsidiary, CRAiLAR(R) Fiber Technologies Inc., is
developing proprietary technologies for production of bast fibers,
cellulose pulp, and their resulting by-products, in collaboration
with Canada's National Research Council and the Alberta Research
Council. CRAiLAR(R) technology offers cost-effective and
environmentally sustainable processing and production of natural,
bast fibers such as hemp and flax, resulting in increased
performance characteristics for use in textile, industrial, energy,
medical and composite material applications. The Company was
founded in 1998 as a provider of environmentally friendly, socially
responsible clothing and adheres to a "triple bottom line"
philosophy, respecting the human rights of employees, the
environmental impact of the Company's operations and fiscal
responsibility to its shareholders. See
www.naturallyadvanced.com
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accuracy of this release.
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technological and operational challenges, needs for additional
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are among the primary risks we foresee at the present time. The
Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking
statements.
SOURCE Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc.
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