Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Cotton Ginning Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #291567
Title: Using newly-designed lint cleaner grid bars to remove seed coat fragments

Author
item Armijo, Carlos
item Whitelock, Derek
item Hughs, Sidney
item BARNES, EDWARD - Cotton, Inc
item GILLUM, MARVIS - Retired ARS Employee

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/10/2013
Publication Date: 5/15/2013
Citation: Armijo, C.B., Whitelock, D.P., Hughs, S.E., Barnes, E.M., Gillum, M.N. 2013. Using newly-designed lint cleaner grid bars to remove seed coat fragments. National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference, January 7-10, 2013, San Antonio, TX. Available: http://www.cotton.org/beltwide/proceedings/.

Interpretive Summary: Seed Coat Fragments (SCFs) that remain in ginned lint reduce spinning efficiency at the textile mill, and ultimately affect the quality of finished goods. An experiment was conducted to remove SCFs at the saw-type lint cleaner using newly-designed grid bars with angles and edges different from conventional grid bars. Two types of cotton were used, a common upland cultivar and a cultivar known to have a fragile seed coat that breaks easily and contaminates lint with SCFs. Results showed noticeable differences in fiber properties between the cultivars. Fiber from the fragile cultivar was shorter, less uniform, and contained more short fibers, neps, and seed coat neps. However, there were very few differences in fiber properties among grid bar treatments, particularly AFIS seed coat nep count which was used as an indicator for seed coat fragments. Reducing SCFs in ginned lint will provide the producer with a more profitable and desirable fiber.

Technical Abstract: An experiment was conducted to remove seed coat fragments at the saw-type lint cleaner using newly-designed grid bars. The test consisted of five experimental grid bar designs and one control. The experimental grid bars had angles from the sharp toe of the grid bar (or the angle from vertical) of 105°, 60°, and 45°; a grid bar design that had a rounded tip with a 0.79-mm (0.031-in) radius; and a grid bar that had one edge and a radius of 90°. The 105° and 60° grid bars were unique in that they had a second edge a short distance from the toe of the grid bar. Two types of cotton were used, a common upland cultivar and a cultivar known to have a fragile seed coat that breaks easily and contaminates lint with seed coat fragments. Results showed noticeable differences in fiber properties between the cultivars. Fiber from the fragile cultivar was shorter, less uniform, and contained more short fibers, neps, and seed coat neps. However, there were very few differences in fiber properties among grid bar treatments, particularly AFIS seed coat nep count which was used as an indicator for seed coat fragments. Tests not yet completed include a manual count of seed coat fragments in the lint, and determining trash content in the lint and lint content in the trash.