Due to the excessive use of water required for cotton cultivation, scientists in this field have been looking at waste biomass as an alternative source of fiber supply. Canola waste biomass is a source of textile fibers which effectively costs nothing, as the biomass can be collected from the waste plant stems of canola plants after harvesting. Therefore, an investigation has been conducted to identify the characteristics of canola fiber and of the canola cultivar ( Brassica napus L.) suitable for textile applications. In this research, a bio-inspired approach was applied to produce fiber from canola biomass by water retting of four different cultivars (HYHEAR 1, Topas, 5440, and 45H29) cultivated in a greenhouse under controlled atmospheric conditions. It was found that the structural hierarchy of fiber density, mechanical properties and other textile fiber properties of canola fiber differ from cultivar to cultivar, which can be carefully harnessed for different applications. Further, it was found that the density of canola fiber is much lower than that of cotton and other competitive bast fibers, owing to its hollow structure, as revealed by scanning electron microscopy. The results suggest that canola may be an excellent choice for manufacturing of non-woven fabrics, eco-composites, apparel or other technical textiles.

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Composite parts, used in transportation industries, are manufactured using vacuum‐assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) and non‐woven glass fiber mats that are optimized for impregnation, fiber volume fraction (Vf), and composite properties. However, such optimized hemp and flax mats are not available. Extending the research on hemp mats manufactured using air‐laying, the effect of needle depth (2 or 8 mm) and punch density (0–72 punches/cm2) used to bind the fibers in the mat together, as well as consolidation pressure (101–560 kPa) applied during manufacturing, on mat permeability and composite properties were studied. Non‐woven flax mats exhibited heterogeneity in spatial distribution of areal density (GSM) and fiber distribution. This, together with the distribution in flax fiber diameter and properties, resulted in large scatter in the measured composite properties. The out‐of‐plane permeability and the consolidation of the mat decreased with increase in punch density and depth. This, together with the variation of Vf in the starting mat, resulted in complex variation in the Vf in the composite. 30‐P mat, with tightly bound fibers, resulted in optimal composite properties at VARTM (101 kPa) pressure while 0‐P and 72‐P mats, with loosely bound fibers, resulted in optimal properties at 560 kPa.