Update: Ongoing research for detection and/ Or removal of plastic

Authors: Holt, Gregory

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/15/2019
Publication Date: 5/15/2019
Citation: Holt, G.A. 2019. Update: Ongoing research for detection and/ Or removal of plastic. Meeting Abstract. 1-3.

Interpretive Summary: As plastic contamination has become a primary issue in the cotton industry, the cotton ginning laboratories in Las Cruces, NM, Lubbock, TX, and Stoneville, MS have made finding working solutions to detecting and/or removing plastic the main focus of their research efforts over the past year. To date, the following activities are underway: Las Cruces – Engineers at Las Cruces are evaluating a machine manufactured by the Handan Golden Lion Equipment Company out of China, The Contamination Cleaner. The machine was purchased and the research is being funded by Cotton Incorporated to determine if the machine could be a viable mechanical means of removing plastic contamination in U.S. cotton gins in the immediate future, which does not require specialized electronics or even the need to detect the plastic. The machine arrived in Las Cruces a little over a month ago and Dr. Derek Whitelock and staff are currently conducting tests to access the machines plastic contamination removal efficiency. Likewise, Dr. Paul Funk is working on a machine that would have a column of heated rollers that would cause the plastic to adhere/melt to the rollers while allowing the seed cotton to continue through the machine. This machine is in the development phase but if successful would be a mechanical means of removing plastic without the need for detection. Lubbock – Dr. Mathew Pelletier and the other engineers at Lubbock, in collaboration with a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) partner, Bratney Companies, developed and evaluated a machine-vision plastic contamination and removal system that installs on the feeder apron prior to the gin stand. The project is funded by Cotton Incorporated. The technology, which consist of camera, LED lighting, and an air knife, were evaluated, at the Lubbock gin lab between October and December, for removal efficiency of pink and yellow plastic module wrap. The system was also installed at Meadow Coop Gin in Meadow, TX, on the number two gin stand, for evaluation during the 2018-2019 ginning season. Lab testing showed detection and removal efficiency improvements from approximately 50% in October, of yellow and pink module wrap, to 79% for yellow wrap and 92% for pink wrap in December. The gains in efficiency of the system were due to improvements in software, hardware, and observations of the system working in the field at Meadow Coop. For the 2019 – 2020 season, two commercial cotton gins will have all of their gin stands retrofitted with the technology for evaluation and system upgrades. Current plans are for systems to be available to all cotton gins by the 2020-2021 season. The system is going to be built by CRADA partner Bratney Companies and sold by Lummus Corporation. In addition to the detection/removal system on the feeder apron, Dr. Pelletier and crew also installed the same camera system used on the feeder apron at Meadow Coop in a module feeder at NewTex Gin in Plains, TX. The system capture pictures every 5 minutes, as per the gin managers decision, of the module feeder’s dispersing cylinders to a screen at the gin control console. This system is being refined and should be fully operational for this coming ginning season. The module feeder camera system is similar, in design and purpose, to the ones evaluated by National Cotton Council this past season. Stoneville – Staff at Stoneville have been collaborating with university partners and other USDA labs in using Unmanned Ariel Vehicles (UAV’s) to detect and remove plastic contamination in cotton fields prior to harvest. Likewise, Dr. Sui and staff are investigating air separation techniques/systems to classify cotton and remove plastic contamination. More than likely, to effectively remove plastic contamination from seed cotton will require the use of various technologies working in unison since it is unlikely only one sys

Technical Abstract: As plastic contamination has become a primary issue in the cotton industry, the cotton ginning laboratories in Las Cruces, NM, Lubbock, TX, and Stoneville, MS have made finding working solutions to detecting and/or removing plastic the main focus of their research efforts over the past year. To date, the following activities are underway: Las Cruces – Engineers at Las Cruces are evaluating a machine manufactured by the Handan Golden Lion Equipment Company out of China, The Contamination Cleaner. The machine was purchased and the research is being funded by Cotton Incorporated to determine if the machine could be a viable mechanical means of removing plastic contamination in U.S. cotton gins in the immediate future, which does not require specialized electronics or even the need to detect the plastic. The machine arrived in Las Cruces a little over a month ago and Dr. Derek Whitelock and staff are currently conducting tests to access the machines plastic contamination removal efficiency. Likewise, Dr. Paul Funk is working on a machine that would have a column of heated rollers that would cause the plastic to adhere/melt to the rollers while allowing the seed cotton to continue through the machine. This machine is in the development phase but if successful would be a mechanical means of removing plastic without the need for detection. Lubbock – Dr. Mathew Pelletier and the other engineers at Lubbock, in collaboration with a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) partner, Bratney Companies, developed and evaluated a machine-vision plastic contamination and removal system that installs on the feeder apron prior to the gin stand. The project is funded by Cotton Incorporated. The technology, which consist of camera, LED lighting, and an air knife, were evaluated, at the Lubbock gin lab between October and December, for removal efficiency of pink and yellow plastic module wrap. The system was also installed at Meadow Coop Gin in Meadow, TX, on the number two gin stand, for evaluation during the 2018-2019 ginning season. Lab testing showed detection and removal efficiency improvements from approximately 50% in October, of yellow and pink module wrap, to 79% for yellow wrap and 92% for pink wrap in December. The gains in efficiency of the system were due to improvements in software, hardware, and observations of the system working in the field at Meadow Coop. For the 2019 – 2020 season, two commercial cotton gins will have all of their gin stands retrofitted with the technology for evaluation and system upgrades. Current plans are for systems to be available to all cotton gins by the 2020-2021 season. The system is going to be built by CRADA partner Bratney Companies and sold by Lummus Corporation. In addition to the detection/removal system on the feeder apron, Dr. Pelletier and crew also installed the same camera system used on the feeder apron at Meadow Coop in a module feeder at NewTex Gin in Plains, TX. The system capture pictures every 5 minutes, as per the gin managers decision, of the module feeder’s dispersing cylinders to a screen at the gin control console. This system is being refined and should be fully operational for this coming ginning season. The module feeder camera system is similar, in design and purpose, to the ones evaluated by National Cotton Council this past season. Stoneville – Staff at Stoneville have been collaborating with university partners and other USDA labs in using Unmanned Ariel Vehicles (UAV’s) to detect and remove plastic contamination in cotton fields prior to harvest. Likewise, Dr. Sui and staff are investigating air separation techniques/systems to classify cotton and remove plastic contamination. More than likely, to effectively remove plastic contamination from seed cotton will require the use of various technologies working in unison since it is unlikely only one sys