Presented By
Sadam Hussain
Topic Name
Cotton Fibers
Roll No
F-16TE05

COTTON is a unicellular, natural fiber
composed of almost pure cellulose.
As taken from plants, the fiber is
found in lengths of 3/8 to 2 inches.
What is Cotton ?

Cotton
cotton is an important cash crop in more than 80
countries
the major producers in the world are:
• China—32.0%
• India—21.8%
• USA—12.2%
• Pakistan—7.8%
• Brazil—5.7%
in 2007 worldwide, 113 million bales (480 lbs/bale)

SHADES
Colored cottons also
have following shades
Green
Blue
Rust

Each cotton fiber is composed of concentric
layers. The cuticle layer on the fiber itself is
separable from the fiber and consists of wax and
pectin materials.
•Primary Wall
•Secondary Wall
•Lumen

COTTON
Cellulose 80-90%
Water 6-8%
Waxes and fats 0.5 - 1%
Proteins 0 - 1.5%
Hemicelluloses 4 - 6%
Ash 1 - 1.8%

• Comfortable Soft hand
• Good absorbency
• Color retention
• Prints well
• Machine-washable
• Dry-cleanable
• Good strength
• Drapes well
• Easy to handle and sew

PROCESS GINNING
CULTIVATE
WEAVE SPIN
END
USE

CULTIVATIONREQUIREMENTS
A long growing season
Plenty of sunshine
Water during the period of growth
Dry weather for harvest
In general, these conditions are met
within tropical and warm subtropical
latitudes in the northern and
southern hemispheres.

 Modern gins place modules in front of
machines called MODULE FEEDERS.
 It break the modules apart and “feed”
the seed cotton into the gin.
 Some gins use powerful
pipes to suck the cotton
into the gin building.

 Once in the cotton gin, the seed cotton
moves through dryers and through
cleaning machines.
 It remove the gin waste such as
Burs
Dirt
Stems
Leaf Material.

• FIBER LENGTH
• LENGTH UNIFORMITY
• FIBER STRENGTH
• MICRONAIRE
• COLOR

FIBER LENGTH
Fiber length is described as “The
average length of the longer one-half
of the fibers (upper half mean length)“..

FIBER STRENGTH
Fiber strength is measured in grams per
denier. It is determined as the force
necessary to break the beard of fibers,
clamped in two sets of jaws.
 The breaking strength of cotton is about
3.0~4.9 g/denier.
 The breaking elongation is about 8~10%.

MICRONAIRE
 Micronaire measurements reflect fiber fineness and
maturity.
 A constant mass (2.34 grams) of cotton fibers is
compressed into a space of known volume and air
permeability measurements of this compressed
sample are taken. These, when converted to
appropriate number, denote Micronaire values.
COTTON RANGE MICRONAIRE READING
Premium 3.7-4.2
Base Range 4.3-4.9
Discount Range >5.0

COLOR
The color of cotton samples is determined from two
parameters:
 Degree of reflectance (Rd)
 Yellowness (+b)
The color of the fibers is affected by climatic conditions,
impact of insects and fungi, type of soil, storage
conditions etc.
There is five recognized groups of color:
White
Gray
Spotted
Tinged

• SWELLING
• ATTACK OF ACIDS & BASES
• OXIDATION & HYDROLYSIS

SWELLING
Cotton swells in a HIGH HUMIDITY
environment, in WATER and in
concentrated solutions of certain ACIDS,
SALTS and BASES. The swelling effect is
usually attributed to the sorption of highly
hydrated ions. and the moisture absorption
is 7~8%
The moisture regain for cotton is about 7.1~8.5%
Moisture absorption for cotton is 7~8%

ATTACK OF ACIDS AND BASES
 Cotton is attacked by HOT DILUTE or
COLD CONCENTRATED ACID solutions.
Acid hydrolysis of cellulose produces
hydro-celluloses. Cold weak acids do not
affect it.
 The fibers show excellent RESISTANCE
TO ALKALIS.
 There are a few other SOLVENTS that will
DISSOLVE COTTON completely.

identification of cotton
microscopic identification of cotton is relatively easy—
convolutions are easily seen along the fiber
burn tests verify cellulose
fiber length helps identify content
cotton is soluble is sulfuric acid

properties of cotton—care
cotton can be washed with strong detergents and
requires no special care during washing and drying
white cottons can be washed in hot water—dyed
cottons retain their color better if washed in warm
water
cotton releases most soils readily but soil-resistant finishes
are desirable for some interior & apparel uses
excessive bleaching weakens cellulosic fibers
cotton fabrics respond best to steam pressing or ironing
while damp—can be ironed safely at high temperatures

properties of cotton—care
cotton draperies should be dry-cleaned
cotton upholstery may be steam-cleaned with caution
cottons should be stored clean and dry
cotton is harmed by acids—fruit & fruit juice stains
should be treated promptly
cotton oxidizes in sunlight which causes yellowing and
degradation—some dyes are especially sensitive

APPAREL
Wide range of wearing
apparel:
 Shirts
 Dresses
 Children wear
 Active wear
 Blouses
 Separates
 Swimwear
 Suits
 Jackets
 Skirts
 Pants
 Sweaters
 Hosiery
 Neckwear

Home Fashion
 Curtains
 Draperies
 Bedspreads
 Comforters
 Throws
 Sheets
 Towels
 Table Cloths
 Table Mats
 Napkins