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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Cotton Structure and Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #283337
Title: Botanical trash mixtures analyzed with near-infrared and attenuated total reflectance fourier transform spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis

Author
item Fortier, Chanel
item Rodgers Iii, James
item Foulk, Jonn

Submitted to: Journal of Cotton Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/17/2015
Publication Date: 8/4/2015
Citation: Fortier, C.A., Rodgers III, J.E., Foulk, J.A. 2015. Botanical trash mixtures analyzed with near-infrared and attenuated total reflectance fourier transform spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Journal of Cotton Science. p. 603-612.

Interpretive Summary: Botanical trash mixtures are usually found comingled with cotton lint reducing its profitability and complicating its later processing. Three methods, near-infrared (NIR) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier Transform infrared (ATR/FT-IR) spectroscopy as well as thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), were used to analyze binary botanical trash mixtures of hull and leaf, hull and seed coat, hull and stem, leaf and seed coat, leaf and stem, and stem and seed coat. The results show that NIR could be successfully used to identify raw trash mixtures, ATR/FT-IR was more suited to identifying powder-sized trash mixtures, and TGA could be used to identify pure and binary trash mixtures. These methods show the applicability of alternative methods to identify fiber properties, like trash, as opposed to the conventionally used Uster ® High Volume Instrument (HVI) and the Shirley Analyzer.

Technical Abstract: Botanical cotton trash mixed with lint reduces cotton’s marketability and appearance. During cotton harvesting, ginning, and processing, trash size reduction occurs, thus complicating its removal and identification. This trash causes problems by increasing ends down in yarn formation and thus processing efficiency. The Uster ® High Volume Instrument (HVI™) and Shirley Analyzer are extensively used to determine trash levels in cotton lint, but they do not specifically identify its origin. This study was performed to determine the potential for recognizing differences between botanical cotton trash mixtures via Near-Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR/FT-IR) spectroscopy, and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). A “proof of concept” was demonstrated that shows the promise of NIR and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy along with TGA to be employed to identify binary mixtures of botanical cotton trash. The results of this study are presented herein.