Week 6: Testing Cotton Fiber Quality and Long Staple Cotton

 Testing Cotton Fiber Quality:


Once cotton is harvested it is sent to be tested for quality.  The cotton then goes through multiple tests to determine the quality of the fibers.  First, there are samples taken out of the bails and they are given a barcode.  This barcode stays with the sample through the whole process.  There are a series of standards that the sample has to pass such as: color and leaf grade standards, calibration cottons for length, strength, uniformity index and micronaire, and verification standards for instrument color and trash content.  During harvest season the facilities get busier.  It was really informational to watch a video on the quality tests done in Memphis, Tennessee.  You are able to see how much is done to a bail of cotton before it is even put into a yarn.  These quality tests will decide where the cotton will go and what it can be used for.

The barcode of the sample being scanned before the whiteness and the trash content is tested.


Long Staple Cotton:


Short staple cotton fibers are more common than long staple fibers.  Long staple fibers have more benefits to them though.  The quality of the fabric, the strength, and the softness are all better when long staple fibers are used.  Long staple fibers are different in the way that they are 1 ¼” - 2” long whereas short staple fibers are about 1 ⅛” long.  When creating yarn, the long staple fibers can last longer and can be spun to be more fine.  The finer the fiber the smoother the fabric will be.  There are fewer ends that are exposed in the fiber since they do not need as much of the cotton.  That is the difference between long staple cotton fibers and short staple cotton.


The difference in cotton fiber lengths.  The long staple cotton can also be called Egyptian cotton.


Long Staple Cotton Explained by Alan Laytner - YouTube

The Differences Between Short and Long Staple Cotton | Blog | HomeGrown Cotton

Testing cotton fiber quality - YouTube

Cotton Fiber Testing and Standardization | Agricultural Marketing Service (usda.gov)


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Supima Cotton & Rayon Fiber

Image
Supima Cotton Cotton is generally a short staple fiber but, Supima cotton is a rare extra long staple fiber cotton, measuring at least 34 millimeters. This type of cotton is primarily found on family farms in California and the American Southwest. It was developed nearly 100 years ago in Arizona. Its name, which means superior pima, to pay tribute to the special quality seeds used to produce this cotton. This cotton is referred to as "the worlds finest cotton" this is due to the excellent strength and color last of this cotton.  It is used by big cotton producers since it offers such great strength ad holds color well. With having 35% longer fibers, it helps make this cotton softer than short fiber cotton. The twists with this cotton come out cleaner and smoother with less pilling happening. Having such a soft fiber that is strong allows it to be nicely draped.  When growing a high end cotton the process of growing the crops is best to be clean and sustainable. Most farmers w
Read more

Week 12: Carpet Padding

Image
 Carpet padding is an important detail to flooring because it can help carpets and rugs last longer, protect the flooring underneath, and even make it more comfortable to walk on.  There is carpet padding and carpet cushions.  They are similar but different in their materials and usage.  Pads are more of the felt options.  The three major cushion categories are fibrous cushions, rubber and latex, and foam cushions. Fibrous cushions are made from natural fibers and are needle punched into the padding.  The most prominent fibers used is hair and jute.  This is an inexpensive option, but they do not last the longest.  Since they are made from natural fibers they age and crumble more quickly than a manufactured cushion. Rubber and latex cushions are the most flexible option out of the three.  They can made out of natural rubber or from synthetic polymer.  This is not the largest part of the market though because of how many people are allergic to latex.  Rubber pads can also be made differ
Read more

Chapter 5 Blog: Bamboo Fabric and Cotton Processing

Image
  Fiber Identification by Burning Fibers all have different compositions and they all react to fire in different ways. The ways that these fibers react can tell us what type of fiber it is. For instance cotton will burn but it will not melt, it will start to smell like burning wood. It does not leave a dark ash or smoke it is a white color. Since cotton is a natural cellulose fiber, all other natural cellulose fibers will burn with the same characteristics. Natural protein fibers, such as wool and silk, will burn but not melt, very strong burnt hair smell, when its removed from the fire it will stop burning, and leaves dark black beads once it has been burned. Rayon is partially a cellulose fiber and partially an artificial fiber but, it burns the same way as the cellulose fiber where it won't melt and smells like burning wood.  Polyester is an artificial fiber and burns very differentially than natural fibers. This fabric will start to shrink, melt, and burn from fire. Once it has
Read more