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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 #322955
Research Project: Improved Quality Assessments of Cotton from Fiber to Final Products

Location: Cotton Structure and Quality Research

Title: Progress report on understanding AFIS seed coat nep levels in pre-opened slivers on the Advanced Fiber Information System (AFIS)

Author
item Montalvo Jr, Joseph
item von Hoven, Terri

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/16/2016
Publication Date: 5/26/2016
Citation: Montalvo Jr, J.G., Von Hoven, T.M. 2016. Progress report on understanding AFIS seed coat nep levels in pre-opened slivers on the Advanced Fiber Information System (AFIS). Proceedings of the National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference, January 5-7,2016, New Orleans, Louisiana. p. 315-317.

Interpretive Summary: The Advanced Fiber Information System (AFIS) is used to study how this instrument measures the impurity dubbed seed coat neps. Seed coat neps are seed coat fragments in the size range 0.5 to 3 mm and with attached fibers that remain with the spinnable fibers during processing in the instrument. The fragments are produced during harvesting and ginning of cotton. A patent search was conducted, and studied to assist with the understanding of the AFIS measurement of this impurity. The older AFIS 2 model is primarily used, with important findings confirmed with the AFIS PRO unit. A smaller sliver size than that recommended was utilized to study the AFIS response to a variety of single seed coat fragments placed into the smaller slivers. There was a significant weight loss of the fragments due to processing in the AFIS and the impurity counts ranged from lower to higher than expected values.

Technical Abstract: The Advanced Fiber Information System (AFIS) is utilized in this segment of the research project to study how seed coat neps are measured. A patent search was conducted, and studied to assist with the understanding of the AFIS measurement of this impurity in raw cotton. The older AFIS 2 is primarily used, with important findings confirmed with the AFIS PRO unit. A smaller sliver size was utilized to study the AFIS response to a variety of single seed coat fragments placed into the smaller slivers. A significant weight loss of the fragments due to processing in the AFIS was found and the individual impurity counts ranged from lower (0%) to higher (300%) than expected values.