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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 #334336
Research Project: Improved Quality Assessments of Cotton from Fiber to Final Products

Location: Cotton Structure and Quality Research

Title: Evaluation of Karl Fischer titration vial closure integrity for extended storage of cotton test specimens

Author
item Montalvo Jr, Joseph
item von Hoven, Terri
item Santiago Cintron, Michael

Submitted to: American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists Journal of Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/16/2017
Publication Date: 1/1/2018
Citation: Montalvo Jr, J.G., Von Hoven, T.M., Santiago Cintron, M. 2018. Evaluation of Karl Fischer titration vial closure integrity for extended storage of cotton test specimens. American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists Journal of Research. 5(1):7-20. https://doi.org/10.14504/ajr.5.1.2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14504/ajr.5.1.2

Interpretive Summary: Cotton fibers are sealed in a glass vial with aluminum crimp cap and analyzed within three hours for water content. In this study, the time between vial preparation and analysis needed to be at least five days to allow for shipping from remote sites. A tight seal could not be maintained. Capped vials were put in a heat-sealed aluminum foil envelope and stored under various conditions: frozen, ground transportation and static humidity chambers. There was no storage effect on the water content of the cotton. The envelope preserved the original water content in the fibers. Extended storage and transportation of crimp capped vials for water content determination is feasible.

Technical Abstract: Cotton fibers are sealed in a glass vial with a septum in an aluminum crimp cap and analyzed within three hours for water content by Karl Fischer Titration. In this study, the time interval between capping and analysis needed to be at least five days to allow for shipping from remote sites to locations with the apparatus. A tight seal could not be maintained by changing the septa and crimp cap. Instead, capped vials were put in an aluminum foil envelope, heat sealed and stored under diverse conditions: frozen, ground transportation and static humidity chambers. There was no storage effect on the water content of the cotton. The envelope had effectively preserved the original water content in the fibers. Extended storage and transportation of crimp capped vials is feasible.