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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Cotton Ginning Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #386769
Research Project: Improving the Production and Processing of Western and Long-Staple Cotton and Companion Crops to Enhance Quality, Value, and Sustainability

Location: Cotton Ginning Research

Title: Lint cleaner feed mechanisms affect fiber length uniformity

Author
item Armijo, Carlos
item Delhom, Christopher
item Whitelock, Derek
item Funk, Paul
item Wanjura, John
item Holt, Gregory
item Sui, Ruixiu
item MARTIN, VIKKI - Cotton, Inc
item KOTHARI, NEHA - Cotton, Inc
item Blake, Cody
item Pelletier, Mathew

Submitted to: Bremen International Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/21/2020
Publication Date: 3/17/2021
Citation: Armijo, C.B., Delhom, C.D., Whitelock, D.P., Funk, P.A., Wanjura, J.D., Holt, G.A., Sui, R., Martin, V.B., Kothari, N., Blake, C.D., Pelletier, M.G. 2021. Lint cleaner feed mechanisms affect fiber length uniformity. (VIRTUAL) 35th International Cotton Conference, Bremen, Germany, Mar. 15-19, 2021. Presentation only.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Providing the textile industry with a more uniform fiber to manufacture yarns more efficiently would expand market share and increase the demand for cotton products. Older studies on lint cleaning machines showed that the feed mechanism that places fiber on the cleaning cylinder damages fiber and reduces uniformity. A gin test was run to determine how experimental feed mechanisms affect uniformity. The ginning treatments included 1) conventional lint cleaners that retain the harmful feed mechanism (this is the most widely used lint cleaner), 2) newer commercially-available lint cleaners that alter the configuration of the feed mechanism, and 3) experimental lint cleaners that connect directly (i.e.. coupled) to the gin stand and eliminate the feed mechanism altogether. The lint cleaners were used with saw and roller gin stands. Four diverse Upland cultivars from the Far West, Southwest, and Mid-South were used in the test. Preliminary results showed that roller ginning and associated lint cleaning, being less aggressive than saw ginning and saw-type lint cleaning, had the longest and most uniform fiber. Also, saw ginning with the coupled lint cleaner or a saw-type lint cleaner that altered the configuration of the damaging feed mechanism had more uniform fiber than conventional saw-type lint cleaning. Fiber obtained from the ginning lots will be processed into yarn to determine spinning efficiency.