Importance of Cotton Fiber Q litQuality
E i F H tEric F. Hequet
Plant and Soil Science DepartmentFiber and Biopolymer Research InstituteFiber and Biopolymer Research InstituteTexas Tech University
World statisticsWorld statistics
Yield evolution (average world)
900
600700800
a
Yield = 9.11 Year - 17,560R2 = 0.95
400500600
ield
, kg/
h
100200300Y
i
0100
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Crop year
Source: ICAC
Production evolution (world)
30,000
n
20,000
25,000
met
ric
ton
Production = 308.8 Year – 595,792R2 = 0.92
15,000
20,000
n, 1
000
m
5,000
10,000
Prod
uctio
01950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
P
Crop year
Source: ICAC
Cotton: Consumption per capita and market share
4.5 80
market share
4.0
/cap
ita
60
70
, %
3.0
3.5
mpt
ion,
kg
50
60
ket s
hare
,
2.5
3.0
Con
sum
30
40
Mar
k
2.01960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2015
20
Consumption Market share
Source: ICAC
1997 Cotton Sales (millions)
11.3
7 57.5
Domestic Foreign
2010/11 Est. Cotton Sales (millions)
80.1%
9.8
14.519.2%
3.4
Domestic Foreign
Cotton production
40es
253035
80-lb
. bal
101520
lions
of 4
8
05
/02 2/03 /04 4/05
5/06
6/07
7/08
8/09
9/10
0/11 /12
Mill
2001
/020
02/0
2003
/020
04/0
2005
/0
2006
/020
07/0
2008
/020
09/1
2010
/120
11/1
Crop year
China USA India
Share of U.S. Apparel Sales by Manufacturing SourceManufacturing Source
100
60
80
re, %
20
40
Shar
0
199199199199199199199200200200200200200993994995996997998999000001002003004005
Year
Import Domestic
Cotton consumption
60
les
30
40
50
80-lb
. bal
10
20
30
llion
s of 4
0
10
1/02
2/03
3/04
4/05
5/06
6/07
7/08
8/09
9/10
0/11
1/12
Mil
2001
/020
02/0
2003
/020
04/0
2005
/020
06/0
2007
/020
08/0
2009
/120
10/1
2011
/1
Crop year
China USA India
World cotton consumption 2010/11
4550
es
30354045
80-lb
. bal
e
10152025
lions
of 4
8
05
10
na dia an key zil sh S. sia co mM
ill
China
India
Pakist
anTurk
eyBra
ziBan
gladesh U.S
Indon
esia
Mexi
coViet
nam
Crop year
Rotor and ring spun yarnsRing spun yarnRotor spun yarn
Rank Ring
1 Length
2 Strength
Rank Rotor
1 Strength
2 Fineness 2 Strength
3 Fineness
4
2 Fineness
3 Length
4 Cleanliness
Installed Spinning Capacities (short staple)(short staple)
1984 1994 2004 2007 2009
Rotor US 300,000 1,008,000 569,000 364,000 293,000
China 100,000 550,000 1,160,000 2,037,000 2,198,000
Ring US
China
14,330,000
22,000,000
6,261,000
41,585,000
1,602,000
67,000,000
1,043,000
99,000,000
708,000
110,000,000
Source ITMF
2009 Installed Spinning Capacities
Spindles Short staple
Spindles Long staple
OE
R tShort staple Long staple RotorsAfrica
A i N th
2.3%
2 4%
1.7%
6 2%
2.1%
5 9%America, North
America, South
A i & O i
2.4%
4.1%
85 3%
6.2%
4.8%
45 6%
5.9%
6.4%
53 1%Asia & Oceania
Europe, East
85.3%
1.7%
45.6%
8.8%
53.1%
21.4%
Europe, West
Europe, Turkey
1.5%
2.8%
27.9%
5.1%
3.4%
7.7%
World 232,175,862 14,656,900 7,782,779Source ITMF
Cumulative Shipments 2001-2010
Spindles Short staple
Spindles Long staple
OE
R tShort staple Long staple RotorsAfrica
A i N th
1.0%
0 5%
2.6%
1 9%
0.9%
5 3%America, North
America, South
A i & O i
0.5%
0.7%
93 6%
1.9%
3.9%
63 5%
5.3%
4.9%
74 0%Asia & Oceania
Europe, East
93.6%
0.1%
63.5%
4.0%
74.0%
2.0%
Europe, West
Europe, Turkey
0.6%
3.3%
9.1%
15.0%
2.6%
10.4%
World 88,707,286 2,013,362 3,478,902Source ITMF
2009 Installed Weaving Capacities*
Shuttle-less Shuttle
Af i 1 1% 4 1%Africa
America, North
1.1%
4.4%
4.1%
3.3%
America, South
Asia & Oceania
5.6%
72.3%
4.9%
85.3%
Europe, East
Europe, West
10.0%
3.1%
0.7%
0.4%
Europe, Others
World
3.5%
1,138,526
1.3%
1,507,394
Source ITMF* Looms primarily for weaving yarns spun on the cotton system
Weaving Machinery Cumulative Shipments 2001-2010Shipments 2001 2010
Shuttle-less Shuttle
Africa
America, North
1.0%
0.8%
1.6%
0.0%
America, South
Asia & Oceania
1.2%
88.9%
0.1%
97.8%
Europe, East
Europe, West
0.6%
4.2%
0.1%
0.2%
Europe, Others
World
3.2%
626,723
0.2%
77,035
Source ITMF
Background
Increased reliance on the export market ill i U S iwill require U.S. cotton to compete in
terms of both price and quality with f iforeign crops.
Base level
U S A InternationalU.S.A. InternationalStapleTenacity
3426
3528Tenacity
MicronaireUI%
263.5-4.980 82
283.8-4.682 83UI%
Color80-82
4182-83
31Leaf 4 3
Situation in TexasSituation in Texas
Texas in % of US production
Texas is the largest cotton producer in the nationnation.
4550
ion
303540
S pr
oduc
ti
202530
rcen
t of U
S
1015
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Pe
20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
Texas: % at or above base (35 staple)
For the entire state of Texas, the percentages of the production at or above the internationalof the production at or above the international base for length (staple 35) are:
100
708090
bove
bas
e
405060
nt a
t or
ab
102030
Perc
e
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Premiums & discounts for cotton 41 - Leaf 1-2 (July 29, 2011)
600800
( y , )
200400600
ts
2000
200
Poin
t
-600-400-200
600<30 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37
Length in 1/32"
West Texas San Joaquin Valley
Micronaire distribution (2007-08) Staple length = 35 or higher
1214
p g g
81012
tage
468
Perc
ent
02
2.2 2.6 3.0 3.4 3.8 4.2 4.6 5.0 5.4 5.8
Micronaire
Lubbock Visalia
Strength distribution (2007-08)Staple length = 35 or higher
20.0
p g g
15.0
tage
5 0
10.0
Perc
ent
0.0
5.0
24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38
Strength, g/tex
Lubbock Visalia
Micronaire Lubbock Classing Office
10
6
8
tage
4
6
Perc
ent
0
2
2 0 2 5 3 0 3 5 4 0 4 5 5 0 5 5 6 02.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0
Micronaire
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 20102005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Fineness and Maturity complex:
Why is it important?
Mature cotton fibers
Immature cotton fibers
Typical cotton fiber cross-sections
Immature cotton fiber cross-sections
Plant Growth
Source: Cotton fiber development and processing. An illustrated overview ISBN 9704182-0-5 (Figure 12, D. Oosterhuis)
Variation of θ along the plant
0.50
0.400.45
nit)
0.250.300.35
eta
(no
un
0.150.200.25
The
0.100 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Fr iting BranchFruiting Branch
Distribution of individual fibers breaking forces (fruiting position #1)breaking forces (fruiting position #1)
40
45
TM 1-1
30
35
40
rsTM 1 1 TM 6-1 TM 12-1
20
25
30
ber
of fi
ber
10
15
20
Num
b
0 5 1 0 1 5 2 0 2 5 3 0 3 5 4 0 4 5 5 0 5 5 6 0 6 5 7 0 7 5 8 00
5
0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5 8.0
Breaking force (grams)
What is a fiber nep?
A small knot of entangled fibers that usually will not straighten to a parallel positionwill not straighten to a parallel position during carding or drafting
Fiber nep
Fiber nep
White speck
White speck
Why is it important?
Fiber neps result in yarn neps.
Y lt i f b i d f tYarn neps result in fabric defects.
Yarn neps RS 40Ne vs. Fiber neps
1100
900
1000
1100
ps
Y 1 079 Fib + 17 123700
800
900
Yar
n N
ep
Yarn = 1.079 Fiber + 17.123R2 = 0.83
500
600
700Y
500500 600 700 800 900 1000
Fiber NepsFiber Neps
Maturity – Effect on dye uptake
100% cotton fabric(same variety, same field)(same variety, same field)
Mature cotton Immature cottonMature cotton Immature cotton
Shiny nep on fabric
Fiber length and uniformityFiber length and uniformity
Sutter-Webb
Long staple
Short staple
What is the Short Fiber Content?
Percentage, by weight, of fibers ½ inch in length or shorterlength or shorter.
Percentage, by number, of fibers ½ inch in length or shorterlength or shorter.
Sample 461: Length distribution by number (L(n) hand = 0.81; MR = 0.82)
10
number (L(n) hand 0.81; MR 0.82)
6
8
10
age
4
6
Perc
enta
0
2P
0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50
Length group
Hand Saw Roller
Sample 465: Length distribution by number (L(n) hand = 0.83; MR = 0.90)
14
number (L(n) hand 0.83; MR 0.90)
101214
age
468
Perc
enta
024P
0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50
Length group
Hand Saw Roller
Short Fiber content (w) vs. Maturity
25SFC(w) = 778.0 M2 - 1584.9 M + 811.7
R2 = 0.84720
25
)
10
15
SFC
(w)
0
5
00.85 0.90 0.95 1.00 1.05
MaturityMaturity
Why is it important?
• Higher SFC% results in higher loss at theHigher SFC% results in higher loss at the carding machine.
• Higher SFC% results in more yarn defects i iand productivity loss.
• More yarn defects result in more fabric defectsdefects.
Conclusions
• Length distribution is of the utmost importance for good spinning performances.
• Length distribution is related to individual fiber strength, therefore to fineness and maturity.
Fiber Strengthg
Fiber Elongation
Typical Load – Elongation curve
80 l0
506070
N
Area under curve=
Work-to-break
304050
Loa
d, N
1020
00.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
Elongation mmElongation, mm
Fiber Elongation
• Due to the lack of calibration standards, High Volume Instruments (HVI) do not provide consistently accurate fiber elongation data.
• The contribution of fiber bundle elongation in the work of rupture of fiber bundles is critically important to processing performance.
Estimated HVI work of rupture WSS vs. HVI Tenacity for selected elongationsHVI Tenacity for selected elongations
100120
9%
6080
100
ase*
100
Base: 24 cN/tex – 6% El.
7%
8%
9%
204060
base
)/ba
5%
6%
7%
40-20
0
Wss
: (x-
b
4%
-60-40
18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34
W
18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34
HVI Tenacity, cN/Tex
Conclusion
• With the current marketing system the• With the current marketing system the variety with a higher strength and a lower elongation would receive a premium whileelongation would receive a premium while its performances in spinning and weaving (all other parameters being equal) would be(all other parameters being equal) would be lower.
