In Canada, flax is getting some new uses through projects funded by the BioProducts AgSci Cluster. The cluster supports a variety of new bioproducts projects with funding and networks so they can get to market, and several of the cluster groups are looking at flax as a viable biomaterial for construction and building materials, the automotive industry, and even light-emitting diodes.
Prairie Tide Chemicals research focuses on flax’s orbitide, a cyclic peptide that dissolves in oil, which can replace the metals currently used in diodes. University of Toronto is using flax to create biodegradable, lightweight board panels which can be used in construction and the automotive industries. While Queen’s University isn’t making a new product to bring to market, researchers are testing flax fibres in resins and epoxys to replace fibreglass and for potential real-world applications like enforcing bridges. So eating flax seeds may help you be stronger, but flax may also strengthen materials around us.