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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 #286172
Title: Feasibility of visible and Near Infrared Spectroscopy in the determination of cotton trash components

Author
item Liu, Yongliang
item Thibodeaux, Devron

Submitted to: Journal of Cotton Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/24/2013
Publication Date: 8/20/2013
Citation: Liu, Y., Thibodeaux, D.P. 2013. Feasibility of visible and Near Infrared Spectroscopy in the determination of cotton trash components. Journal of Cotton Science. 17:195-201.

Interpretive Summary: Presence of non-lint materials (trashes) in commercial cotton bales at various amounts degrades the market values and further influences the end-use qualities. In order to ensure a fair trading, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has introduced the high volume instrument (HVI) measurement as a universal standard index. Among the indices, trash content is generated by one of three HVI modules and represents the trash portion only detectable on the surface of a sample. In addition to HVI’s geometric method, gravimetric-based Shirley analyzer (SA) has also been utilized to determine the trash contents in the laboratories. Notably, HVI and SA only yield the amount of trash in general terms, instead of the content for individual trash component. In large part, this difficulty originates from the complexity of co-existence of various trashes, such as leaves (leaf and bract), seed coats, hulls, and stems, in completely unpredicted manner within the lint cottons. This study examined the feasibility of visible and near infrared (NIR) technique in the determination of individual trash components among the subjectively prepared mixtures of known trash components with cut lint fibers. The outcome provides cotton fiber / textile engineers, researchers and regulators a new sight in applying visible and NIR spectroscopy for rapid and routine determination of cotton trash.

Technical Abstract: Co-occurrence of trashes on commercial cotton bales compromises the market values, requires further cleaning step, and influences the end-use qualities for yarn and fabric products. To meet the challenge of determining the trash content, two testing methods (e.g., high volume instrument (HVI) and Shirley analyzer (SA)) have been utilized considerably at the trade and regulatory offices and the laboratories in cotton industry. However, these methods only report the trash amounts in total or general terms, instead of the content for individual trash component. Likely, the complexity of co-existence of various trash types, including leaves (leaf and bract), seed coats, hulls, and stems, contributes to this limitation. In order to address this problem, a set of mixtures with known amounts for both clean lint fibers and individual trash component (e.g., leaves, seed coats, hulls, stems, and sand/soil) was fabricated physically and then their visible/NIR spectral response was related with corresponding trash contents. Comparison of model performances revealed the feasibility of visible/NIR technique in the precise and quantitative determination of total trash, leaf trash and non-leaf trash components.