Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #214113
Title: Moisture study on botanical cotton trash.

Author
item Allen, Angela
item Foulk, Jonn
item Gamble, Gary

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/18/2007
Publication Date: 10/26/2007
Citation: Allen, A.M., Foulk, J.A., Gamble, G.R. 2007. Moisture study on botanical cotton trash. National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference,January 9-12, 2007, New Orleans, Louisiana. p.1782-1785. National Cotton Council, Memphis, Tennessee. http://cotton.org/beltwide

Interpretive Summary: A prior study employing Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic measurements was used in the identification of botanical cotton trash. In that study, various changes in the O-H absorption bands were noticed for each pepper size trash types after heat treatment. Expanding on this work, new pepper size trash samples were subjected to different temperatures in order to observe changes that occur as sampels were heated and re-equilibrated. At the same time, changes in the O-H absorption bands of the FTIR spectrum were analyzed for pepper size trash samples (same variety). Investigating the effects of heat addition may aid in understanding how the moisture content in botanical cotton trash may improve the efforts of indentifying and separating cotton trash from cotton fibers.

Technical Abstract: In a previous study, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was utilized in identifying different types of botanical cotton trash as each was subjected to simulations of ginning and textile processing. Changes in the hydroxyl region observed after heat treatment indicated the need to further understand the cause of these changes. This study will attempt to confirm that the changes observed in the infrared spectra were due to moisture. Reduced size trash samples of stem, leaf, hull, and seedcoat were exposed to three temperatures (66,107, and 149 C) for 20 min and then allowed to recondition to standard room conditions (65% RH, 21° C ) . The moisture lost and regained were determined for each trash sample at each temperature. Concurrently, additional samples were used for infrared analysis. Results indicated that the changes observed were due to the presence of moisture.