Examining use of a cylinder cleaner to facilitate plastic removal in a cotton gin

Authors: Hardin Iv, Robert; Byler, Richard

Submitted to: Proceedings of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers International (ASABE)
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/20/2015
Publication Date: 8/20/2015
Publication URL: http://elibrary.asabe.org/azdez.asp?search=1&JID=5&AID=46327&CID=norl2015&v=&i=&T=2&urlRedirect=
Citation: Hardin Iv, R.G., Byler, R.K. 2015. Examining use of a cylinder cleaner to facilitate plastic removal in a cotton gin. Proceedings of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers International (ASABE). Paper Number: 152188703; DOI: 10.13031/aim.20152188703.

Interpretive Summary: US produced cotton lint is among the least contaminated in the world, however, in more recent years low but increasing levels of sheet plastic contamination has been detected in US cotton. This plastic primarily comes from agricultural mulch or light weight shopping bags discarded by consumers. In the past we have shown that normal cotton cleaning equipment fails to remove significant portions of the plastic which enters the gin. An ongoing effort has been undertaken to examine alternative operation of existing cleaning equipment to determine if relatively simple changes of operation would result in improved removal of the sheet plastic pieces. A research-scale cylinder cleaner, of a design found in nearly all US cotton gin plants, was used with varying levels of air flow, seed cotton processing rate, cylinder rotation speed, size of plastic pieces, and with two cotton cultivars. The seed cotton processing rate and cotton cultivar did not significantly affect the plastic removal rate. Increasing the air flow rate, decreasing the cylinder speed, and decreasing the size of the plastic pieces resulted in increased plastic removal from the seed cotton. An equation was developed to predict the plastic removal rate given the air flow rate, cylinder rotation speed, and plastic size. This study showed that nearly complete removal of smaller pieces of plastic could be achieved but that larger pieces were not adequately removed. The study provides guidance of how a commercial gin could adjust their cleaning equipment to more effectively address the removal of plastic entrained in seed cotton, but likely not completely solve the problem.

Technical Abstract: US produced cotton is among the cleanest available in the world. However, in more recent years low, but increasing, levels of sheet plastic contamination has been detected in US cotton. Normal cotton cleaning equipment has been shown to fail to remove significant portions of the plastic which enters the gin. Therefore, this study was initiated to determine if adjustments to the normal operation of existing gin machines would result in greater removal of plastic pieces. A research-scale cylinder cleaner was operated with different levels of air flow, seed cotton processing rate, cylinder rotation speed, size of plastic pieces and two cotton cultivars. Plastic removal rates and lint losses were measured. The data for the lint losses has not been completely analyzed at this time. The seed cotton processing rate and cotton cultivar did not significantly affect the plastic removal rate. Increasing the air flow rate, decreasing the cylinder speed, and decreasing the size of the plastic pieces resulted in increased plastic removal from the seed cotton. An equation was developed to predict the plastic removal rate given the air flow rate, cylinder rotation speed, and plastic size.