FIBER CROPS: COTTON AND COTTONIZED FLAX

Authors: Foulk, Jonn; Akin, Danny; McAlister Iii, David

Submitted to: Faserinstitute Bremen Cotton Exchange Meetings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/15/2003
Publication Date: 3/24/2004
Citation: Foulk, J.A., Akin, D.E., McAlister III, D.D. Fiber crops: cotton and cottonized flax. Proceedings of 27th International Cotton Conference, Faserinstitute Bremen Cotton Exchange Meetings, 2004. p. 102-116.

Interpretive Summary: THE OVERALL AIM OF THIS ARTICLE WAS TO SUMMARIZE THE PROPERTIES OF COTTON AND FLAX, THE ADVANTAGES OF UNDERSTANDING AND DEVELOPING TEST STANDARDS, AND THE SUITABILITY AND PRODUCTION OF WOVEN AND NONWOVEN PRODUCTS FROM A BLEND OF NATURAL FIBERS. THE USDA COTTON QUALITY RESEARCH STATION IS NOW COMPLEMENTED BY THE USDA FLAX FIBER PLANT WHICH BOTH EXIST FOR THE UTILIZATION AND TESTING OF NATURAL FIBERS. COLLECTIVELY, THESE FACILITIES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SPIN AND NEEDLEPUNCH VARIOUS BLENDS OF COTTON/FLAX. NEW TESTING METHODS AND IMPROVEMENTS IN CURRENT FIBER TESTING TECHNIQUES ARE EXPECTED 1.) TO INCREASE THE USE OF NATURAL FIBERS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF VARIOUS NATURAL FIBER PRODUCTS, 2.) TO INCREASE PROCESSING EFFICIENCY, AND 3.) TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF NEW CULTIVATION PRACTICES AND FIBER VARIETIES ON FIBER UTILIZATION.

Technical Abstract: THE ORIGINS OF COTTON (GOSSYPIUM BARBADENSE L. OR GOSSYPIUM HIRSUTUM L) AND FLAX (LINUM USITATISSIMUM L.) ARE SOMEWHAT OF A MYSTERY. EVEN SO, THESE PLANT FIBER CROPS HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF BEING UTILIZED IN CLOTHING BY THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY DUE TO THEIR COMFORT LEVEL IN APPAREL. COTTON CURRENTLY MAINTAINS A 65% SHARE OF THE CONSUMER TEXTILE MARKET WHILE FLAX MAINTAINS ABOUT 2-3%. MANY SIMILARITIES EXIST BETWEEN THESE TWO PLANT FIBERS BUT THE FIBERS AND MANDATORY PROCESSING VARY GREATLY. COTTON FIBERS ARISE FROM THE OUTGROWTH OF SINGLE CELLS AND ARE PRODUCED IN THE SEEDPOD AROUND THE COTTONSEED WHILE FLAX FIBERS ORIGINATE IN THE PHLOEM (BAST REGION) AND PROVIDE AN IMPORTANT FOOD-CONDUCTING TISSUE FOR THE PLANT. COTTON IS CONCENTRATED IN THE COTTON BOLL AND MUST BE HARVESTED AND GINNED PRIOR TO TEXTILE PROCESSING. ALTERNATIVELY, BAST FIBER CONTENT IN A FLAX STEM IS ~25% AND MUST BE HARVESTED AND DEW-RETTED, AND THEN FIBERS MUST BE EXTRACTED FROM THE NON-FIBER MATERIALS USING AN ASSORTMENT OF RIGOROUS TECHNIQUES PRIOR TO TEXTILE PROCESSING. A COLLECTION OF TEST METHODS FOR MARKETING FIBERS HAS RECENTLY BEEN INITIATED FOR FLAX FIBERS, WHILE TESTING TECHNIQUES AND MARKETING CONTINUE TO EVOLVE FOR COTTON. VARIOUS TYPES OF FIBERS ARE BLENDED WITH COTTON PROVIDING SPECIFIC PROPERTIES THAT COMPLETMENT AND ADD VALUE TO COTTON. THE USE OF NATURAL FIBERS IN INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS CONTINUES TO INCREASE WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR BOTH COTTON AND FLAX FIBERS TO BE UTILIZED IN TEXTILES, NONWOVENS, COMPOSITIES, AND PAPER PRODUCTS.