Author
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Gamble, Gary |
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Submitted to: Journal of Cotton Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 2/4/2005 Publication Date: 7/1/2005 Citation: Gamble, G.R. 2005. Cotton fiber chemical differences and their effect on friction behavior: a comparison of two crop years in the ATMI/ARS Leading Cultivars Study. Journal of Cotton Science 9:56-64. Interpretive Summary: THE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO COTTON FIBER SPINNING PROPERTIES ARE POORLY UNDERSTOOD. THE GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO DETERMINE WHETHER FIBER MOISTURE CONTENT IS RELATED TO OBSERVED DIFFERENCES IN FIBER-FIBER FRICTION AMONG A SET OF 21 COTTON SAMPLES. MICRONAIRE AND MOISTURE CONTENT MEASUREMENTS WERE PERFORMED, AND RESULTS INDICATE THAT AS COTTON MATURES, THE MOISTURE CONTENT DECREASES. THE EFFECT OF THIS DECREASE IN MOISTURE CONTENT WAS EVALUATED BY COMPARISON WITH FIBER-FIBER FRICTION MEASUREMENTS. RESULTS INDICATE THAT SINGLE FIBER FRICTION INCREASES AS A FUNCTION OF DECREASING MOISTURE, SUGGESTING THAT AS FIBERS MATURE, THE CONTAMINANT LOSS IN MOISTURE RESULTS IN THE COTTON FIBER BECOMING MORE CONVOLUTED, THUS INCREASING THE FIBER FRICTION. Technical Abstract: MOISTURE AND MICRONAIRE MEASUREMENTS WERE PERFORMED ON 21 COTTON SAMPLES EXHIBITING A RANGE IN GENETIC DIVERSITY AND GROWING LOCATIONS. A COMPARISON OF THESE RESULTS INDICATES THAT MOISTURE CONTENT INCREASES AS A FUNCTION OF DECREASING MICRONAIRE, SUGGESTING A CONCOMITANT DECREASE IN CELLULOSE CRYSTALLINITY. DETERMINATION OF CRYSTALLINITY INDICES IN FTIR SPECTROSCOPY PROVED UNABLE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE UPPER AND LOWER LIMIT MOISTURE SAMPLES DUE TO THE RELATIVE INSENSITIVITY OF THE METHOD. MOISTURE CONTENTS WERE FURTHER COMPARED WITH MICRONAIRE-NORMALIZED FRICTIONAL MEASUREMENTS. RESULTS INDICATE THAT INTER-FIBER FRICTION INCREASES AS A FUNCTION OF DECREASING MOISTURE CONTENT, SUGGESTING THE POSSIBILITY THAT SMALL INCREASES IN CELLULOSE CRYSTALLINITY CAN INCREASE THE FIBER CRIMP, LEADING TO THE OBSERVED INCREASES IN FRICTIONAL VALUES. |
