Effects of Growth Environment on Cotton Fiber Properties and Motes, Neps, and White Speck Frequency

Abstract

I A number of preharvest and postharvest factors alter textile quality, including cotton variety, growth environment, harvest method, lint cleaning, and combing. In this work, the impact of three planting dates in 1997 and 1999 on fiber properties, mote, neps, and white specks is monitored. Cotton is hand picked, ginned on a small laboratory gin, and processed in a mini-spinning facility. The number of motes per gram of seed cotton does not correspond to changes in nep or white speck frequency. Also, a decrease in the mean micronafis values (which corresponds to micronaire) does not correlate with increases in white speck frequency.The range of 0 values is larger for 1999 cotton than for 1997 cotton. We propose th the distribution of 0 values is important in predicting white speck potential, and that the amount of very mature fibers may be just as important as the amount of immature fibers.

Evaluating Intraplant Cotton Fiber Variability

“…Neps are created when fibers become tangled in the process of harvesting, ginning, and other processing operations. They can cause difficulty for mills and detract from the appearance of yarns and fabrics (Davidonis et al, 2003). It was observed from the BLUP data that fiber nep count was significantly reduced by sympodial branches 1 through 4, while IFC was reduced by sympodial branches 1 through 5 (Table 2).…”

“…These interactions lead to a high degree of variability in fiber quality across different species and cultivars, within the same cultivars, within fields, across and within rows, within bales, within a plant, and even within a single boll. Keeping pace with the requirements set by spinning and weaving technologies, the need to control cotton fiber variability along with maximizing yield is urgent (Clouvel et al, 1998; Davidonis et al, 1999; Wilkins and Jernstedt., 1999; Davidonis et al, 2004; Bednarz et al, 2006; Krifa, 2012).…”

Measurements of seed coat fragments in cotton fibers and fabrics

“…According to Hebert and Thibodeaux 1 and Anthony et al, 3 13%-27 % of all neps contain SCFs. White specks (knots of immature fibers in dyed fabrics that have been identified as neps 5 ) of a dyed fabric can be composed of fibers attached to the SCFs of mature seeds or to mote fragments, 6 sometimes resulting in both white specks and dark specks (SCFs) in the fabric, making some SCFs problematic in greige and dyed fabrics. Funiculi, motes, and SCFs (having fiber or not) are collectively called SCFs and are the main source of neps, 7 yarn imperfections, decreasing strength, and poor dyeability.…”

“…SCFs are not easily removed in processing and can contaminate yarn and fabric. 13,14 They are usually black or dark brown, 5 which can spoil cotton fabrics' aesthetic effect, because they differ in color and morphology from the fibers. With increasing amounts of impurities, such as husks, leaves, stalks, and SCFs, the tendency towards nep formation increases, a greater number of cleaning points are required during ginning and opening, and fiber breakage and short fiber content increases.…”

Fiber length distribution variability in cotton bale classification: Interactions among length, maturity and fineness

“…In particular, despite intensive research and development efforts, classing data still fails to include meaningful and reliable measurements of some fiber properties now at the forefront of concerns for spinners, namely, neps 18 and short fibers or more generally fiber length distribution. 19,20 To evaluate those properties, spinners depend on measurement methods with testing speeds not compatible with those of HVIs.…”