Cotton Fibers – the king of fibers

Properties of Cotton

Cotton is a natural fiber that is grown in countries around the world. It is a crop that requires adequate moisture and heat to mature and produce quality fibers. Cotton growing tends to be in warmer climates. Cotton is a true commodity in the world markets and supply and demands truly affect the prices of raw cotton.

Cotton fibers are mainly made up of cellulose. Cellulose does not form unless temperatures are over 70 °F (21 °C). The cotton fibers are attached to the seeds inside the boll of the plant. There are usually six or seven seeds in a boll and up to 20,000 fibers attached to each seed. The length of these fibers (also called staples) is the main determining factor in the quality of the cotton. In general, the longer the staple grows the higher the quality of the cotton. Staple lengths are divided into short, medium, and long (and extra-long, in some cases):

• Short staple cotton is between 3/8” to 15/16” (.95cm to 2.4cm) in length
• Medium staple cotton is between 1” to 1-1/8” (2.54cm to 2.86cm) in length
• Long-staple cotton is between 1-3/16” to 2-1/2” (3cm to 6.35cm) in length

Properties of Cotton Products

• Comfortable – there are no surface characteristics of cotton that make it irritating to human skin. Cotton feels good against the skin; it has a soft hand.
• Hydrophilic – cotton has a natural affinity for water – it attracts moisture away from your body.
• Moisture passes freely through cotton – aiding in evaporation and cooling
• Good Heat Conductivity – Cotton allows heat to dissipate making it a wonderful fiber to maintain a comfortable sleeping temperature.
• Strong and abrasion resistance
• The unfavorable attributes of cotton include its lack of resiliency (cotton tends to wrinkle) and its
  lack of luster (colors are usually dull).

Properties of Cotton Fiber

• It has 8% moisture regain
• The cellulose is arranged in a way that gives cotton unique properties of strength, durability, and absorbency
• It is fresh, crisp, comfortable, absorbent, flexible, has no pilling problems, and has good resistance to alkalis
• It has poor wrinkle resistance, shrinkage, poor acid resistance, less abrasion resistance, is susceptible to damage by moths and mildew, needs lots of maintenance, and stains are difficult to remove
• Its fiber length ranges from ½ inches to 2inches
• It has a 10%increase in strength when wet.
• It has a flat twisted tube shape

Long Staple Cotton

In general, long-staple cotton is needed to spin the yarns needed in the weaving of the finer down proof cotton fabrics.

Long-staple cotton is considered to be finer quality because it can be spun into finer yarns and those finer yarns can be woven into softer, smoother, stronger, and more lustrous fabrics. Long-staple cotton makes stronger yarns, especially in fine yarns, as there are fewer fibers in a given length of yarn and the longer fibers provide more points of contact between the fibers when they are twisted together in the spinning process.

Common areas that grow long-staple cotton in the world would be Egypt, Sudan, the United States (Pima cotton grown in the west and southwest are long-staple cotton), and Western China. The two most widely known long-staple cotton are Egyptian cotton and Pima cotton. Pima cotton is grown mainly in the United States, but also in Peru, Israel, and Australia.

The fibers are sent to a textile mill where carding machines turn the fibers into cotton yarn. The yarns are woven into cloth that is comfortable and easy to wash but does wrinkle easily. Cotton fabric will shrink about 3% when washed unless pre-treated to resist shrinking.

Cotton is prized for its comfort, easy-care, and affordability and is ideal for clothing, bedding, towels, and furnishings.

Development of Cotton Plant

To optimize fiber production, one must optimize reproductive growth and development in the cotton plant. Cotton plant development occurs in a very specific sequence of events. Each developmental stage of the plant impinges on fiber development. A better understanding of cotton plant growth and development and of the biological mechanisms that control flower production, fruit set, and boll retention is essential for the continued profitability of the cotton industry. This section summarizes the growth and development of the cotton plant as it relates to fiber production.

Seasonal patterns of plant Development Cotton is a perennial plant, capable of the growing year after year, producing flowers and fruit each year. Being a perennial, the cotton plant evolved

Indeterminate growth is the ability to continuously develop and grow new organs as long as the plant lives. This means that throughout its life the cotton plant will continuously produce flowers and fruit (bolls). Agriculturally, cotton is grown as an annual, being planted and harvested on a yearly basis. This combination of a perennial growth pattern and agricultural management as an annual result in tremendous variability in boll maturity at the time of harvest.

Plant development in cotton proceeds through five main growth stages: germination and emergence, seedling establishment, leaf area-canopy development, flowering and boll development, and maturation. The transitions between these successive stages are not clearly distinguishable. Furthermore, each stage may have different growth processes operating with specific environmental and nutritional requirements.

Seed Germination and Emergence

Seed with all fibers removed is an ovoid, somewhat pointed, dark brown structure. The seed consists of a seed coat surrounding an embryo with two well-developed cotyledons. The embryo axis consists of a radicle (embryonic root), a hypocotyl, two cotyledons,

And a poorly developed epicotyl (embryonic stem). The cotyledons, or seed leaves, form the first green leaves after emergence. Initially, cotyledons contain stored food that supplies the energy for germination and early development. There are usually about 3,500-4,000 delinted seeds per pound.

Germination begins within the first few hours of the entry of moisture into the seed. This results in increased oxygen uptake and the utilization of stored energy reserves to build new cells and tissues during embryonic growth. The seed/embryo swells as water is absorbed causing the seed coat to split. Under favorable conditions for germination, the radicle emerges through the pointed micropylar end of the seed in two to three days. The radicle becomes the primary root that grows downward into the soil. The tissues between the radicle and cotyledons (i.e. The hypocotyl)

Grow rapidly, arching near the cotyledons. With continued elongation of the hypocotyl, the cotyledons and embryonic shoot are pulled up through the soil surface. This is called emergence. Typically, the seed coat is shed and remains in the soil. Soil crusting due to surface compaction or high clay content may hinder the emergence of the cotyledons and embryonic shoot. When the cotyledons are free of the soil, they unfold and expand. After emergence and exposure to light, the cotyledons develop chlorophyll and are capable of synthesizing food via photosynthesis.

Root Development

The function of roots is to absorb nutrients and water from the surrounding environment and transport these materials to the above-ground portions of the plant. Much of the early development of the cotton plant is focused on growing a substantial root system. Growth of the above-ground portion is relatively slow prior to canopy development. The primary root, or taproot, penetrates the soil rapidly and may reach a depth of up to 10 inches or more by the time the cotyledons unfold. Root development may proceed at the rate of 0.5 to 2.0 inches per day, depend- ing on conditions, such that the roots may be 3 feet deep when the above-ground portion of the plant is only about 1 foot.

Numerous lateral roots spread outward from the taproot, forming a mat of roots extending several feet. The largest portion of the root system is located within three feet of the soil surface. Root distribution within the soil (root length density) is usually about 24 inches of root per cubic inch of soil but can vary considerably with soil and plant conditions. The total root weight comprises approximately 20% of the total dry weight produced by the plant during the growing season. However, the total root length produced during the same time may be several hundred yards. The total root length continues to increase as the plant develops until the maximum plant height is reached and fruit begins to form. Root length then begins to decline as older roots die.

Shoot Development

The cotton plant has a very prominent main stem that consists of a series of nodes (points of leaf and bud development) and internodes (length of stem between nodes). The main stem will continue to grow, producing new nodes and internodes indefinitely, consistent with an indeterminate growth habit. The main stem is erect and supports a spiral arrangement of leaves and branches. Branches develop from a bud located at a node in a location immediately above where the leaf joins to the main stem. Two types of branches are produced — vegetative and fruit-.

Vegetative branches are structurally similar to the main stem. They normally arise from the main stem near the ground and grow in an upright position. The number of vegetative branches produced depends primarily on the environment and plant spacing.

Fruiting branches develop from buds on the main stem or from vegetative branches and are defined by the presence of floral buds (squares), flowers, and fruit. Once fruiting has begun, fruiting branches tend to be produced at each successive main-stem node. The first fruiting branch is normally produced at the sixth or seventh node above the location of the cotyledons on the main stem.

Leaves Formation

There are three main types of leaves: cotyledons, prophylls, and true leaves. The kidney-shaped cotyledons from the originally planted seed are usually about two inches wide. The prophylls are the first leaves that develop on a branch and are inconspicuous, usually about 0.2 inches long. The true leaves vary in shape from entire to deeply lobed, depending on the developmental stage and variety. The first true leaves formed on the cotton seedling are usually heart-shaped, whereas subsequently formed leaves are lobed. The leaves of U.S. cotton cultivars are usually three to five-lobed and about four to six inches wide. Cotton leaves generally have a thick waxy outer covering for protection. This layer contains numerous small pores (stomates) for the entry of carbon dioxide for photosynthesis as well as the exit of water vapor for evaporative cooling. Epidermal and glandular hairs are also located on the surface of the leaf.

The growth of true leaves is relatively slow at first compared to root growth, such that at one month after planting only about four or five true leaves may be unfolded and visible. During the later vegetative period, the emphasis changes to square and flower development. The average life span of a leaf is about 70 days. The large petiole (stalk joining leaf to stem) at the base of the leaf is often analyzed to estimate plant nutrient status. Total leaf area development continues to increase, reaching approximately three to four square yards of leaf per square yard of the soil surface in a mature crop.

Reproductive Development

The cotton plant, due to its indeterminate growth habit, continues both vegetative and reproductive development throughout the remainder of the season. Reproductive growth commences with the formation of the floral buds in the apical part of the plant which gives rise to the flowers and subsequent bolls

Cotton has a distinctive and predictable flowering pattern. The first flowers to open are low on the plant, usually on main-stem nodes six or seven, and on the first position along a fruiting branch. About three days elapse between the opening of a flower on a given fruiting branch and the opening of a flower at the same relative position on the next higher fruiting branch. On the other hand, the time interval for the development of two successive flowers on the same branch is about six days. The order is thus spirally outward and upward. Flowers continue to be produced (indeterminant growth) as long as the plant is actively growing. In an agricultural setting, active plant growth is stopped by defoliation or frost.

Cotton is genetically programmed to produce seeds for sexual reproduction. For the plant, the fibers that coat the seed evolved to facilitate seed dispersal, probably functioning to entangle in fur and feathers so that seeds were carried away. Wild cotton plants produce much smaller seeds with far fewer and shorter fibers. Humans dramatically influenced the evolution of domestic cotton by selecting plants that produce large quantities of fiber. Thus the original function of the fiber on the seed coat, to ensure the propagation of the species by spreading the seed to new locations, has been superseded by a new function. Humans select seeds for propagation based on fiber production. The end result is the same continuation of the species. The seed contains the embryonic plant for the next generation, composed of cotyledons, a root, a stem, and leaves.

Seed and Boll Development

Initially, the embryo is very small and the endosperm comprises most of the embryo sac. The endosperm swells as it fills with nutrients from the parent plant. As the ovule matures into the seed, the stored nutrients are transferred from the endosperm to the developing cotyledons of the embryo. During seed germination and early seedling growth, these nutrients are used to support the plant until it can photosynthesize and make its own food. By the time the seed is ready to germinate, the endosperm is not detectable and the embryo consists of two large cotyledons and the embryonic axis, including radicle, hypocotyl, and epicotyl.

Seeds attain their full size about three weeks after fertilization but do not reach maturity until the boll opens. Only ovules that are fertilized and develop an embryo reach maturity. Immature or aborted ovules, called motes, are often found in mature bolls. Fertilization and fiber production are linked processes, in that fertilization is required for optimum fiber growth and development on the plant. Unfertilized ovules will develop fibers; however, the extent of fiber development is severely limited and is one of the causes of textile motes (undeveloped seeds with immature fibers).

The boll, or fruit, of the cotton plant, varies in form and size but is generally a spherical or ovoid leathery capsule, light green in color, and with a few pigment glands. The boll grows rapidly after fertilization, especially between 7-18 days, and full size is reached in about 20 to 25 days. Maturation of the boll, from anthesis to the time of boll opening, usually takes about 50 days but this varies with genotype and environmental conditions. The boll is composed of three to five locules (compartments of the ovary) each with eight or nine seeds attached to the central column. At maturity, the boll splits along suture lines in the ovary wall.

The mature white seed-cotton within expands greatly, pushing out beyond the capsule, forming a white fluffy mass divided into lots. About 300 bolls are required to produce a pound of lint and there are about 145,000 bolls per bale of lint. The fertilized ovule de- envelops into a seed if the young boll is not shed. Shedding occurs either before anthesis (squares) or after fertilization (developing bolls). Flowers are not shed. The shedding of squares and young bolls is a natural occurrence in cotton that is accentuated by adverse environmental conditions including extended overcast weather, extremely high temperatures, water stress, and insect damage. A cotton plant in a typical field commonly sheds about 60% of its squares and young bolls, mostly in the younger regions of the plant (i.e., ends of branches and main stem).

Cotton Processing: Harvesting

Cotton processing begins at harvest. Once the cotton bolls have matured, they are mechanically removed from the plant by either of two harvest methods: cotton strippers or cotton pickers. A cotton harvester is self-propelled with special heads that harvest the cotton and a basket to hold the seed cotton. In some parts of the world, cotton is still harvested by hand.

Cotton was once harvested by hand, often by slave labor or tenant farmers. As recently as 1965, over a fourth of the U.S. cotton crop was picked by hand. Today, harvesting cotton is highly mechanized.

Cotton Strippers

Harvesting machines called strippers and pickers efficiently remove the cotton while leaving the plants undisturbed. A spindle harvester, also called a picker, has drummed with spindles that pull the cotton from the boll in one or two rows at a time. Even a one-row mechanical picker can do the work formerly done by 40 hand pickers.

In stripper harvesting, the stripper moves along rows of plants, passing them between revolving rollers or brushes that pull off the cotton. Strippers also pull twigs and leaves with the cotton.

Pickers remove only the seed cotton from the boll, leaving the burrs (dried locules) and the plant intact in the field. Cotton pickers utilize a series of spindles stacked on a spindle bar in the picker drum. The spindles, which rotate, are round, tapered, and fluted with barbs. The entire spindle bar is rotating as it enters the row of cotton plants. As the rotating spindles come in contact with the seed cotton on the plant, the cotton is pulled out of the burr (locule).

The bar continues to rotate and comes into contact with a spinning doffer that wipes the cotton off the spindle and into a pneumatic conveying system that moves it to the basket.

Strippers are used in areas with stormproof cotton varieties (these varieties minimize field losses from weather). The seed cotton is held in the boll until the plant is killed by cold weather or chemical harvest aids. The cotton stripper removes the complete boll from the plant utilizing two counter-rotating stripper rolls consisting of nylon brushes and rubber bats. This method of the harvest will result in a higher trash content of harvested seed cotton. Some strippers have field cleaners that can separate the burrs and sticks from the seed cotton that goes into the basket, leaving the trash in the field.

The harvester basket full of seed cotton is then dumped into a module builder. The module builder can pack the cotton into an eight to twelve bale module. The module of cotton is left in the field to be picked up by a module truck and taken to the yard of the gin to wait for ginning.

The stripper’s head consists of two counter-rotating rolls with long brushes and rubber batts spaced close together and slanted towards the ground. As the stripper moves, plants enter the head and the whole boll is snapped off of the dried plant by the bats. The boll is conveyed up to the basket by augers and pneumatic conveyors.

Mechanical cotton stripper

The name comes from the fact that it removes the complete boll from the stalk of cotton. The stripper is driven through the field with a stripper’s head for each row of cotton (up to eight rows). The plants enter the head and the counter-rotating batts snap off the complete bolls, leaving the dry stalk standing in the field. Newer strippers have a field cleaner on board that removes the trash (burrs, sticks, and fine trash). The trash drops from the field cleaner via a chute behind the front tire.

It removes only the seed cotton from the open boll, leaving plants in the field. The cotton picker moves down the rows of cotton plants, picking the cotton from the bolls. The cotton is conveyed to the cotton basket. The picker head has a stack of rotating spindles on a spindle bar. The entire spindle bar rotates also. As the picker moves down the row, plants enter the picker head and the spindles come in contact with the cotton, pulling it out of the open boll. A doffer wipes the cotton off of the spindle.

 

 

Cotton Module Builder

The harvester basket full of seed cotton is dumped into a module builder. A module builder is a metal box with no top or bottom and a moveable tramper that packs the cotton into an eight to twelve bale module, much like a trash compactor. When finished, the rear door opens, the builder is lifted by hydraulics and pulled away from the module by a tractor to another location where the next module can be compacted. The module of cotton usually has a tarp pulled over the top. It is left in the field to be picked up by a module truck and taken to the gin. The development of the module builder as a replacement for cotton trailers helped eliminate storage and handling problems between the field and the gin.

Cotton gins separate the fibers, called lint, from the seeds. After ginning, the cotton goes to the bale press that packs it into 480-pound bales about the size of a large refrigerator.

Module builder receiving a load of cotton from a harvester. When the module is completed, the builder has pulled away to the next site and filled it again. A module truck from the gin will pick up the modules in the field.

Cotton Ginning

Harvested cotton is called seed cotton because the fibers are still attached to the seed. The ginning process removes the seeds and cleans the fiber. Clean cotton is important because a bit of trash incorporated into a spun yarn can cause the yarn to break. When the bale of fiber comes out of the bale press, a sample is taken for cotton classing (fiber evaluation).

From the field, seed cotton moves to nearby gins for the separation of lint and seed. The cotton first goes through dryers to reduce moisture content and then through cleaning equipment to remove foreign matter. These operations facilitate processing and improve fiber quality. The cotton is then air conveyed to gin stands where revolving circular saws pull the lint through closely spaced ribs that prevent the seed from passing through. The lint is removed from the saw teeth by air blasts or rotating brushes and then compressed into bales weighing approximately 500 pounds. Cotton is then moved to a warehouse for storage until it is shipped to a textile mill for use.

The principal function of a cotton gin is to convert the farmers’ harvested seed cotton into salable commodities, i.e., fiber and seed. Thus, Ginning is the bridge between cotton production and cotton textile manufacturing. To satisfactorily convert today’s mechanically harvested cotton into salable commodities, gins have to dry and clean the seed cotton, separate the fibers from the seed, further clean the fibers and place the fibers into an acceptable package for commerce.

Cottonseed is sold to dairies for feed, to oil mills for the production of many valuable products, or saved for planting next year’s crop. The fibers are the more valuable product, however, and the design and operation of cotton gins are oriented toward fiber production. In essence, the modern cotton gin enhances the value of the cotton by separating the fibers from the seed and by removing objectionable non-fiber matter, while preserving as nearly as possible the inherent qualities of the fiber.

The module of cotton is opened and cotton is moved with an airstream into the gin, first pass- ing through a boll trap that removes green (un-opened) bolls and rocks. The airline cleaner takes out fine trash and sand (for stripper harvested cotton). The separator removes the cotton from the air stream, dropping it into the feed control, which regulates the flow of cotton into the ginning stream. The tower dryers dry the cotton if it is wet or harvested before the plant was completely dry.

The inclined cleaners (or cylinder cleaners) are a type of cleaner that removes fine trash. The CBS (combination burr and stick) machine in a stripper cotton gin removes sticks and burrs. In a picker cotton gin, a stick machine, at this location, removes sticks and green leaf. The cotton then goes through a second dryer, another inclined cleaner, and a second stick machine (in a stripper gin). Another separator takes cotton out of the conveying air stream and drops it into a conveyor distributor. The distributor delivers cotton to each of several extractor-feeders, which feed the gin stands uniformly and at a controlled rate.

Recommended gin machinery for machine-stripped and machine-picked cotton

The gin stand is the heart of the ginning process where the fibers are removed from the seed. Most gins are equipped with two lint cleaners that remove small trash that remains in the lint after ginning. These cleaners are equipped with bypasses to regulate the amount of cleaning required. The fiber then goes into a gin press where it is compressed into a 480-pound bale suitable for commerce.

A typical gin will process about 12 bales per hour, while some of today’s more modern gins may process as many as 60 bales an hour.

 

Inside the Cotton Gin – Video

Classing Cotton

Cotton buyers judge cotton on the basis of samples cut from the bales. Skilled cotton classers grade or “class” the cotton according to standards established by the US Department of Agriculture such as cleanliness, the degree of whiteness, length of the fiber, and fiber strength.

The classers pull a sample; they discard most of the cotton until just a pinch of well-aligned fibers remains. They measure the length of the fibers, referred to as staple fibers. Longer staple fibers are higher-grade cotton and are sold at higher prices. Long staples range from 1.1 inches to 1.4 inches long.

The USTER® HVI classing is the standard classification system in the United States and also for the international cotton trade. USTER® HVI is used for measurement of the most important cotton fiber properties of micronaire, fiber length (UHML), uniformity, short fiber index, strength, elongation, color, trash content, and degree of maturity. HVI classing has been available to all growers since 1981.

Types of Cotton fabric

Quilting Cotton

Quilting cotton is also referred to as craft cotton, patchwork cotton, or printed cotton and is plain weave cotton that is light to medium weight cotton. They are a pretty closely woven fabric and there are an array of quilted cotton fabrics available that are utilized for making tops, tunics, aprons, blankets, quilts, dresses, and skirts.

Brushed Cotton

Brushed cotton is sometimes referred to as flannel or flannelette. it is a medium-weight cotton fabric that has surface fibers that are brushed on one side of the material which gives it hey very soft and warm look and feels. you can purchase it in plain material, or checked printed or stripe material and it is most often used for casual shirts, children’s clothing, and linings for bedding comic coats, and jackets. When it comes to a lightweight flannelette, it is used many times to make nightgowns and pajamas.

Pima Cotton

Considered a higher-end type of cotton fabric, Pima cotton boasts longer fibers than regular cotton. Smooth fabric that is very soft to the touch is created with Pima cotton. It tends to be resistant to wrinkles and very durable. Several products are created from this type of fabric, including bed sheets and underwear.

Egyptian Cotton

Known as the highest quality cotton fabric, Egyptian cotton is used to make a number of products, including higher thread count bed sheets that many people prefer over other types of sheets to sleep upon. You can expect to pay a little more at the cash register for anything made from this type of fabric.

Cotton Twill

There are many fabrics that are created from a cotton twill weave fabric, including some linen fabrics, denim, chino, and gabardine. It is used in making pants, jackets, skirts, and much more. It is distinguished by its weave pattern that places diagonal lines in the fabric and it is very sturdy and durable. Cotton twill is also used in creating some types of upholstery fabric since it is so durable.

Cotton Lawn

Cotton lawn is a lightweight, plain-weave cotton fabric that has a crisp, smooth feel. It can be quite sheer but is reasonably strong due to the fine weave. Often used for blouses, children’s clothes, tablecloths, and blankets.

Organic Cotton

Organic cotton fabric is created without any synthetic fiber being added into it and is usually free of chemicals, including fertilizers and pesticides, when the cotton is being grown by cotton producers.

Levant Cotton

Levant cotton comes from the Levant seeds of the Gossypium herbaceum cotton plant, which are also used for feed, oil extraction, and food. It is considered Old World cotton and is used by many commercial cotton producers in creating clothing and other products.

Wool Fabric

With cotton wool fabric you end up with the best of both types of fibers: cotton fiber and wool fiber. This means you get the comfort of cotton with the resilience and strength from the wool fiber. This type of cotton blend can be worn all year round no matter what season it is outside. Cotton and wool blends are normally used in higher-end clothing, including tweed, chenille, brocade, and velvet.

Poplin

Poplin, also known as cotton broadcloth, is a medium-weight, plain-weave cotton fabric that is tightly woven and easy to work with when sewing. It is extremely versatile and is used often to produce blouses, dresses, and shirts. It can be a pure cotton blend or one that includes polyester fabric.

Linen Cotton

The linen-cotton mix fabric is very soft and light to medium-weight. It often contains a blend of 50 percent linen and 50 percent cotton. It retains the look and feel of linen but is more robust and will not crease as much. Some clothing made from linen and cotton is a little itchy to your skin. Some products created with linen cotton fabric include skirts, sheets, jackets, and dresses.

Cotton Silk

A mix of silk and cotton weave produces a lightweight fabric that is very soft to the touch and offers the drape and luster that silk provides. It is used most often to make blouses and dresses.

Sea Island Cotton

Sea Island cotton is the rarest type of cotton fabric type in the world as well as one of the finest versions of cotton fabric. It boasts a very fine, uniform texture that offers a silky luster and feels great next to your skin. A variety of products are made from Sea Island cotton, including high-end men’s boxer shorts.

Voile

Voile is a soft and very sheer fabric type that is typically made of 100 percent cotton or of cotton blended with linen or polyester. It is a very lightweight cotton fabric that gets its name from the French term for veil. This fabric is used often in hot, tropical climates and for mosquito netting and sheer curtains for windows.

Poly Cotton

Polycotton is usually a blend of 50 percent polyester and 50 percent cotton can sometimes be made of 65 percent cotton and polyester. It is a very lightweight plain-weave fabric that is very strong, durable, resistant to creasing, however, it is less breathable than other cotton fabrics so it can be hot and make you sweat if you wear it during the warmer months. It is often used to create children’s clothing, skirts, and aprons.

Cotton Drill

This durable fabric is known for being a very dense, strong, medium to the heavyweight fabric which is a popular choice for uniforms and work clothes. It’s very similar to the texture and diagonal weave of denim, but is usually dyed and has a smoother appearance, making it perfect for all sorts of garments – including tailored and casual designs. It is easy and comfortable to wear, and its use has become progressively more stylish and contemporary.

Artificial Cotton – New Technology

The invention belongs to the technical field of artificial cotton. A new artificial cotton technology comprises various barks, 10% of a sodium hydroxide solution, 10% of sulfuric acid, and 12% of bleaching powder.

The new artificial cotton technology comprises: performing air drying on barks stripped from trees, putting in a pot, adding clean water accounting for 5-6 times of the raw materials, and adding 10% of the sodium hydroxide solution, stirring uniformly, boiling for 1-2 hours, when the barks are in a threadlike state, washing off superfluous alkali liquid with water, then adding sulfuric acid accounting for 10% by weight of the raw materials and Kaoliang spirit accounting for 10% by weight of the raw materials for washing and softening, when the barks are in a velvet state, adding a bleaching powder saturated solution in which bleaching powder accounts for 12% by weight of the raw materials and bleaching, washing clean, slightly pressing for drying and then placing into paleo-oil for uniformly stirring and softening, draining and removing the oil, then drying in sunlight, processing by a cotton fluffer to obtain the artificial cotton.

How do you care for Cotton fabric?

Cotton can be machine-washed or dry cleaned, and the instructions vary based on the color of the fabric and its composition (such as a cotton blend). Make sure to check the label for washing instructions.

• Pretreat any stains before washing.
• Wash like colors together to prevent any bleeding. Darker colors should be washed in cold water, while lighter colors can be washed on a warm or cool cycle.
• Bleach can be used on cotton.
• Cotton does tend to shrink, so if you are sewing with cotton, make sure to pre-wash your fabrics.
• Cotton can be hung dry or tumble-dried. Be aware that cotton wrinkles easily and shrinks, so if you want to avoid shrinkage, line dry and remove from the dryer quickly to avoid excess wrinkles.

Some Facts on Cotton

• Of all the natural fibers, cotton is the most important.
• Approximately 125 million bales are produced annually, by far the largest amount of all-natural fibers.
• It is produced in 90 countries around the globe.
• It is an economic catalyst for developing countries as well as a mainstay of industrial nations.
• Fluctuation of cotton production and use is closely monitored because oversupply and undersupply affect the price and economic conditions of the entire pipeline from farmer to consumer.
• A standard bale weighs 500 pounds (226.8 kilograms)
• Cotton is a seed fiber – i.e. it is attached to the seed of the cotton plant – and has been used for over 1000 years.
• It is the most widely used fiber in the world.
• The leading producers of cotton include the United States, China, India, Turkey, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan. Egyptian cotton is of high-quality, long-staple cotton.
• Cotton is classified not only by its species, but also by its fiber length, color, and cleanliness (leaf and stem content), all of which contribute to the cost of the fiber.
• The fiber length is the most important because the longer the staple length, the better the fiber properties. Additionally, color and cleanliness can be addressed in processing.
• It is a plant fiber and hence cotton is composed mainly of cellulose.
• It is a medium-weight fiber of natural cream or tan color with a length between 1/2 and 2 1/2 inches (1.27 and 6.35 cm).
• Most cotton used is about 1 to 1 ½ inches (2.54 to 3.18 cm) long.
• Under a microscope, cotton looks like a flat twisted tube

Advantages of Cotton

• The fiber has good strength and abrasion resistance.
• It is hydrophilic (8 1/2 percent moisture regain), absorbs moisture quickly, and dries quickly.
• Quick-drying gives a cooling effect, which makes cotton a comfortable fiber to wear in hot weather.
• It has a 10 percent increase in strength when wet, which makes it completely launderable.
• It is dry cleanable and has no static or pilling problems. It has a fair drape and a soft hand, and it is inexpensive.

Disadvantages of Cotton

• Cotton has little luster and has poor elasticity and resiliency.
• It is attacked by mildew and silyerfish.
• It is highly resistant to alkalies but is weakened by resin chemicals used in finishing.
• It is also compromised when exposed to acids which can be used to create a ‘worn’ look or holes in jeans.
• Cotton fabrics form lint because the short fibers are able to come out of the fabric easily.

End Uses of Cotton

• The end uses of cotton include a wide range of products in apparel, interior furnishings, and industrial areas.
• Examples include blouses, jeans, jackets, towels, sheets, trousers, T-shirts, belts, and sneakers.
• It takes about 24 ounces of cotton fiber to make an average pair of jeans and about 8 ounces to make a T-shirt. ( 1 ounce = 28.34 grams)