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Title: INFLUENCE OF COTTON VARIETIES AND GIN MACHINERY ON TRASH PARTICLE SIZE

Author
item Anthony, William

Submitted to: Transactions of the ASAE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2002
Publication Date: 5/15/2002
Citation: Anthony, W.S. 2002. Influence of cotton varieties and gin machinery on trash particle size. Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers. Vol. 18(2): 183-195

Interpretive Summary: Mill experts think that gin machinery, especially lint cleaners, creates small particles by subdividing large trash particles. These small trash particles cause operational problems and reduce profits at textile mills. Cleaning machinery used by textile mills is very effective at removing large trash particles from cotton but ineffective in removing small particles (less than 100 microns). This study was conducted to quantify the impact of cotton varieties and gin cleaning machinery on the number and size of trash particles with emphasis on particles under 2000 microns. Results indicated that, contrary to popular belief, gin cleaners decrease the number of trash particles of all sizes by over 70%. The trash particles in 43 different cotton varieties tested differed by 400%. These findings will be used as a basis to investigate new machinery designed to remove small particles of trash at the gin, and to isolate genetic causatives due to varieties. Success will ensure a higher quality yarn an increased mill profits.

Technical Abstract: Small trash particles create serious operational problems for textile mills during spinning. Samples of cotton from five studies involving numerous gin machinery sequences, moisture levels, cotton varieties and two harvesting methods (spindle and stripper) were evaluated before and after gin processing. The foreign matter before any cleaning, after cleaning of the seed cotton, and ginning and lint cleaning was measured. The particle sizes of the foreign matter in the ginned and cleaned lint were evaluated with an Advanced Fiber Information System. The more aggressive seed cotton cleaning and lint cleaning machinery treatments produced the lowest levels of all types of trash particles including the particles 50 to 500 microns and 500 to 1000 microns, which include the sizes of concern to the textile industry. Very large differences also occurred as a result of different varieties, harvesting methods and field locations.