Cotton

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For other uses, see Cotton (disambiguation).
Cotton

Manually decontaminating cotton before processing at an Indian spinning mill (2010)

Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of
the genus Gossypium in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. Under natural conditions,
the cotton bolls will increase the dispersal of the seeds.
The plant is a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, Africa, and
India. The greatest diversity of wild cotton species is found in Mexico, followed by Australia and Africa.[1] Cotton was
independently domesticated in the Old and New Worlds.
The fiber is most often spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile. The use of cotton for
fabric is known to date to prehistoric times; fragments of cotton fabric dated from 5000 BC have been excavated in
Mexico and between 6000 BC and 5000 BC in the Indus Valley Civilization. Although cultivated since antiquity, it was
the invention of the cotton gin that lowered the cost of production that led to its widespread use, and it is the most
widely used natural fiber cloth in clothing today.
Current estimates for world production are about 25 million tonnes or 110 million bales annually, accounting for
2.5% of the world's arable land. China is the world's largest producer of cotton, but most of this is used domestically.
The United States has been the largest exporter for many years.[2] In the United States, cotton is usually measured in
bales, which measure approximately 0.48 cubic meters (17 cubic feet) and weigh 226.8 kilograms (500 pounds).[3]

Contents
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Types
Main article: Types of cotton
There are four commercially grown species of cotton, all domesticated in antiquity:

Gossypium hirsutum upland cotton, native to Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and southern Florida
(90% of world production)
Gossypium barbadense known as extra-long staple cotton, native to tropical South America (8% of world
production)
Gossypium arboreum tree cotton, native to India and Pakistan (less than 2%)
Gossypium herbaceum Levant cotton, native to southern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula (less than 2%)
The two New World cotton species account for the vast majority of modern cotton production, but the two Old
World species were widely used before the 1900s. While cotton fibers occur naturally in colors of white, brown, pink
and green, fears of contaminating the genetics of white cotton have led many cotton-growing locations to ban the
growing of colored cotton varieties.

History
Main article: History of cotton
Early history
Indian subcontinent
Indus Valley Civilization, Early Phase (3300-2600 BC)
The earliest evidence of cotton use in the Indian subcontinent has been found at the site
of Mehrgarh and Rakhigarhi where cotton threads have been found preserved in copper beads; these finds have
been dated to Neolithic (between 6000 and 5000 BC).[4][5] Cotton cultivation in the region is dated to the Indus Valley
Civilization, which covered parts of modern eastern Pakistan and northwestern India between 3300 and 1300
BC.[6] The Indus cotton industry was well-developed and some methods used in cotton spinning and fabrication
continued to be used until the industrialization of India.[7] Between 2000 and 1000 BC cotton became widespread
across much of India.[8] For example, it has been found at the site of Hallus in Karnataka dating from around 1000
BC.[9]
Americas
Cotton fabrics discovered in a cave near Tehuacn, Mexico, have been dated to around 5800 BC.[10] The
domestication of Gossypium hirsutum in Mexico is dated between 3400 and 2300 BC.[11]
In Peru, cultivation of the indigenous cotton species Gossypium barbadense has been dated, from a find in Ancon, to
c 4200 BC,[12] and was the backbone of the development of coastal cultures such as the Norte Chico, Moche,
and Nazca. Cotton was grown upriver, made into nets, and traded with fishing villages along the coast for large
supplies of fish. The Spanish who came to Mexico and Peru in the early 16th century found the people growing
cotton and wearing clothing made of it.
Arabia
The Greeks and the Arabs were not familiar with cotton until the Wars of Alexander the Great, as his
contemporary Megasthenes told Seleucus I Nicator of "there being trees on which wool grows" in "Indica".[citation
needed]
This may be a reference to "tree cotton", Gossypium arboreum, which is a native of the Indian subcontinent.
According to the Columbia Encyclopedia:[9]
Cotton has been spun, woven, and dyed since prehistoric times. It clothed the people of ancient India, Egypt, and
China. Hundreds of years before the Christian era, cotton textiles were woven in India with matchless skill, and their
use spread to the Mediterranean countries.
Iran
In Iran (Persia), the history of cotton dates back to the Achaemenid era (5th century BC); however, there are few
sources about the planting of cotton in pre-Islamic Iran. The planting of cotton was common in Merv, Rayand Pars of
Iran. In Persian poets' poems, especially Ferdowsi's Shahname, there are references to cotton ("panbe"
in Persian). Marco Polo (13th century) refers to the major products of Persia, including cotton. John Chardin, a
French traveler of the 17th century who visited Safavid Persia, spoke approvingly of the vast cotton farms of
Persia.[13]
China
During the Han dynasty (207 BC - 220 AD), cotton was grown by Chinese peoples in the southern Chinese province
of Yunnan.[14]
Middle Ages
Eastern world
Egyptians grew and spun cotton from 6700 CE.[15]
Handheld roller cotton gins had been used in India since the 6th century, and was then introduced to other countries
from there.[16] Between the 12th and 14th centuries, dual-roller gins appeared in India and China. The Indian version
of the dual-roller gin was prevalent throughout the Mediterranean cotton trade by the 16th century. This mechanical
device was, in some areas, driven by water power.[17]
The spinning wheel was invented in India, between 500 and 1000 AD.[18] The earliest clear illustrations of the
spinning wheel come from the Islamic world in the eleventh century.[19]
Europe

Cotton plants as imagined and drawn by John Mandeville in the 14th century
During the late medieval period, cotton became known as an imported fiber in northern Europe, without any
knowledge of how it was derived, other than that it was a plant. Because Herodotus had written in his Histories,
Book III, 106, that in India trees grew in the wild producing wool, it was assumed that the plant was a tree, rather
than a shrub. This aspect is retained in the name for cotton in several Germanic languages, such as
German Baumwolle, which translates as "tree wool" (Baum means "tree"; Wolle means "wool"). Noting its
similarities to wool, people in the region could only imagine that cotton must be produced by plant-borne
sheep. John Mandeville, writing in 1350, stated as fact the now-preposterous belief: "There grew there [India] a
wonderful tree which bore tiny lambs on the endes of its branches. These branches were so pliable that they bent
down to allow the lambs to feed when they are hungrie [sic]." (See Vegetable Lamb of Tartary.) By the end of the
16th century, cotton was cultivated throughout the warmer regions in Asia and the Americas.

The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary

Cotton manufacture was introduced to Europe during the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula and Sicily. The
knowledge of cotton weaving was spread to northern Italy in the 12th century, when Sicily was conquered by the
Normans, and consequently to the rest of Europe. The spinning wheel, introduced to Europe circa 1350, improved
the speed of cotton spinning.[20] By the 15th century, Venice, Antwerp, and Haarlem were important ports for cotton
trade, and the sale and transportation of cotton fabrics had become very profitable.[21]
Early modern period
Mughal India
Main articles: Mughal Empire and Muslin trade in Bengal
Further information: Economic history of India
A woman in Dhaka clad in fine Bengali muslin, 18th century.
Under the Mughal Empire, which ruled in the Indian subcontinent from the early 16th century to the early 18th
century, Indian cotton production increased, in terms of both raw cotton and cotton textiles. The Mughals
introduced agrarian reforms such as a new revenue system that was biased in favour of higher value cash crops such
as cotton and indigo, providing state incentives to grow cash crops, in addition to rising market demand.[22]
The largest manufacturing industry in the Mughal Empire was cotton textile manufacturing, which included the
production of piece goods, calicos, and muslins, available unbleached and in a variety of colours. The cotton textile
industry was responsible for a large part of the empire's international trade.[23] India had a 25% share of the global
textile trade in the early 18th century.[24] Indian cotton textiles were the most important manufactured goods in
world trade in the 18th century, consumed across the world from the Americas to Japan.[25] The most important
center of cotton production was the Bengal Subah province, particularly around its capital city of Dhaka.[26]
The worm gear roller cotton gin, which was invented in India during the early Delhi Sultanate era of the 13th14th
centuries, came into use in the Mughal Empire some time around the 16th century,[27] and is still used in India
through to the present day.[16] Another innovation, the incorporation of the crank handle in the cotton gin, first
appeared in India some time during the late Delhi Sultanate or the early Mughal Empire.[28] The production of cotton,
which may have largely been spun in the villages and then taken to towns in the form of yarn to be woven into cloth
textiles, was advanced by the diffusion of the spinning wheel across India shortly before the Mughal era, lowering
the costs of yarn and helping to increase demand for cotton. The diffusion of the spinning wheel, and the
incorporation of the worm gear and crank handle into the roller cotton gin, led to greatly expanded Indian cotton
textile production during the Mughal era.[29]
It was reported that, with an Indian cotton gin, which is half machine and half tool, one man and one woman could
clean 28 pounds of cotton per day. With a modified Forbes version, one man and a boy could produce 250 pounds
per day. If oxen were used to power 16 of these machines, and a few people's labour was used to feed them, they
could produce as much work as 750 people did formerly.[30]
Egypt
Main article: Egypt under Muhammad Ali
In the early 19th century, a Frenchman named M. Jumel propositioned the then ruler of Egypt, Mohamed Ali Pasha,
that he could earn a substantial income by growing an extra-long staple Maho (Gossypium barbadense) cotton,
in Lower Egypt, for the French market. Mohamed Ali Pasha accepted the proposition and granted himself the
monopoly on the sale and export of cotton in Egypt; and later dictated cotton should be grown in preference to
other crops.
Egypt under Muhammad Ali in the early 19th century had the fifth most productive cotton industry in the world, in
terms of the number of spindles per capita.[31] The industry was initially driven by machinery that relied on
traditional energy sources, such as animal power, water wheels, and windmills, which were also the principle energy
sources in Western Europe up until around 1870.[32] It was under Muhammad Ali in the early 19th century
that steam engines were introduced to the Egyptian cotton industry.[32]
By the time of the American Civil war annual exports had reached $16 million (120,000 bales), which rose to $56
million by 1864, primarily due to the loss of the Confederate supply on the world market. Exports continued to grow
even after the reintroduction of US cotton, produced now by a paid workforce, and Egyptian exports reached 1.2
million bales a year by 1903.
Britain
East India Company
Main articles: Calico Acts and Textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution
The English East India Company introduced the Britain to cheap calico and chintz cloth on the restoration of the
monarchy in the 1660s. Initially imported as a novelty side line, from its spice trading posts in Asia, the cheap
colourful cloth proved popular and overtook the EIC's spice trade by value in the late 17th century. The EIC
embraced the demand, particularly for calico, by expanding its factories in Asia and producing and importing cloth in
bulk, creating competition for domestic woollen and linen textile producers. The impacted weavers, spinners, dyers,
shepherds and farmers objected and the calico question became one of the major issues of National politics
between the 1680s and the 1730s. Parliament began to see a decline in domestic textile sales, and an increase in
imported textiles from places like China and India. Seeing the East India Company and their textile importation as a
threat to domestic textile businesses, Parliament passed the 1700 Calico Act, blocking the importation of cotton
cloth. As there was no punishment for continuing to sell cotton cloth, smuggling of the popular material became
commonplace. In 1721, dissatisfied with the results of the first act, Parliament passed a stricter addition, this time
prohibiting the sale of most cottons, imported and domestic (exempting only thread Fustian and raw cotton). The
exemption of raw cotton from the prohibition initially saw 2 thousand bales of cotton imported annually, to become
the basis of a new indigenous industry, initially producing Fustian for the domestic market, though more importantly
triggering the development of a series of mechanised spinning and weaving technologies, to process the material.
This mechanised production was concentrated in new cotton mills, which slowly expanded till by the beginning of
the 1770's seven thousand bales of cotton were imported annually, and pressure was put on Parliament, by the new
mill owners, to remove the prohibition on the production and sale of pure cotton cloth, as they could easily compete
with anything the EIC could import.
The acts were repealed in 1774, triggering a wave of investment in mill based cotton spinning and production,
doubling the demand for raw cotton within a couple of years, and doubling it again every decade, into the 1840's[33]
Indian cotton textiles, particularly those from Bengal, continued to maintain a competitive advantage up until the
19th century. In order to compete with India, Britain invested in labour-saving technical progress, while
implementing protectionist policies such as bans and tariffs to restrict Indian imports.[34] At the same time, the East
India Company's rule in India contributed to its deindustrialization, opening up a new market for British
goods,[34] while the capital amassed from Bengal after its 1757 conquest was used to invest in British industries such
as textile manufacturing and greatly increase British wealth.[35][36][37] British colonization also forced open the large
Indian market to British goods, which could be sold in India without tariffs or duties, compared to local Indian
producers who were heavily taxed, while raw cotton was imported from India without tariffs to British factories
which manufactured textiles from Indian cotton, giving Britain a monopoly over India's large market and cotton
resources.[38][34][39] India served as both a significant supplier of raw goods to British manufacturers and a
large captive market for British manufactured goods.[40] Britain eventually surpassed India as the world's leading
cotton textile manufacturer in the 19th century.[34]
India's cotton-processing sector changed during EIC expansion in India in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
From focusing on supplying the British market to supplying East Asia with raw cotton. As the Artisan produced
textiles were no longer competitive with those produced Industrially, and Europe preferring the cheaper slave
produced, long staple American, and Egyptian cottons, for its own materials.[citation needed]
Industrial Revolution
Main article: Textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution
The advent of the Industrial Revolution in Britain provided a great boost to cotton manufacture, as textiles emerged
as Britain's leading export. In 1738, Lewis Paul and John Wyatt, of Birmingham, England, patented the roller spinning
machine, as well as the flyer-and-bobbin system for drawing cotton to a more even thickness using two sets of
rollers that traveled at different speeds. Later, the invention of the James Hargreaves' spinning jenny in
1764, Richard Arkwright's spinning frame in 1769 and Samuel Crompton's spinning mule in 1775 enabled British
spinners to produce cotton yarn at much higher rates. From the late 18th century on, the British city
of Manchester acquired the nickname "Cottonopolis" due to the cotton industry's omnipresence within the city, and
Manchester's role as the heart of the global cotton trade.
Production capacity in Britain and the United States was improved by the invention of the modern cotton gin by the
American Eli Whitney in 1793. Before the development of cotton gins, the cotton fibers had to be pulled from the
seeds tediously by hand. By the late 1700s, a number of crude ginning machines had been developed. However, to
produce a bale of cotton required over 600 hours of human labor,[41] making large-scale production uneconomical in
the United States, even with the use of humans as slave labor. The gin that Whitney manufactured (the Holmes
design) reduced the hours down to just a dozen or so per bale. Although Whitney patented his own design for a
cotton gin, he manufactured a prior design from Henry Odgen Holmes, for which Holmes filed a patent in
1796.[41] Improving technology and increasing control of world markets allowed British traders to develop a
commercial chain in which raw cotton fibers were (at first) purchased from colonial plantations, processed into
cotton cloth in the mills of Lancashire, and then exported on British ships to captive colonial markets in West
Africa, India, and China (via Shanghai and Hong Kong).
By the 1840s, India was no longer capable of supplying the vast quantities of cotton fibers needed by mechanized
British factories, while shipping bulky, low-price cotton from India to Britain was time-consuming and expensive.
This, coupled with the emergence of American cotton as a superior type (due to the longer, stronger fibers of the
two domesticated native American species, Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium barbadense), encouraged British
traders to purchase cotton from plantations in the United States and plantations in the Caribbean. By the mid-19th
century, "King Cotton" had become the backbone of the southern American economy. In the United States,
cultivating and harvesting cotton became the leading occupation of slaves.
During the American Civil War, American cotton exports slumped due to a Union blockade on Southern ports, and
also because of a strategic decision by the Confederate government to cut exports, hoping to force Britain to
recognize the Confederacy or enter the war. This prompted the main purchasers of cotton, Britain and France, to
turn to Egyptian cotton. British and French traders invested heavily in cotton plantations. The Egyptian government
of Viceroy Isma'il took out substantial loans from European bankers and stock exchanges. After the American Civil
War ended in 1865, British and French traders abandoned Egyptian cotton and returned to cheap American
exports,[citation needed] sending Egypt into a deficit spiral that led to the country declaring bankruptcy in 1876, a key
factor behind Egypt's occupation by the British Empire in 1882.
During this time, cotton cultivation in the British Empire, especially Australia and India, greatly increased to replace
the lost production of the American South. Through tariffs and other restrictions, the British government
discouraged the production of cotton cloth in India; rather, the raw fiber was sent to England for processing. The
Indian Mahatma Gandhi described the process:

1. English people buy Indian cotton in the field, picked by Indian labor at seven cents a day, through an optional
monopoly.
2. This cotton is shipped on British ships, a three-week journey across the Indian Ocean, down the Red Sea,
across the Mediterranean, through Gibraltar, across the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic Ocean to London.
One hundred per cent profit on this freight is regarded as small.
3. The cotton is turned into cloth in Lancashire. You pay shilling wages instead of Indian pennies to your
workers. The English worker not only has the advantage of better wages, but the steel companies of
England get the profit of building the factories and machines. Wages; profits; all these are spent in England.
4. The finished product is sent back to India at European shipping rates, once again on British ships. The
captains, officers, sailors of these ships, whose wages must be paid, are English. The only Indians who profit
are a few lascars who do the dirty work on the boats for a few cents a day.
5. The cloth is finally sold back to the kings and landlords of India who got the money to buy this expensive
cloth out of the poor peasants of India who worked at seven cents a day.[42]
United States

Prisoners farming cotton under the trusty system in Parchman Farm, Mississippi, 1911
In the United States, Southern cotton provided capital for the continuing development of the North. The cotton was
largely produced through the labor of enslaved African Americans. It enriched both the Southern landowners and
the Northern merchants. Much of the Southern cotton was trans-shipped through northern ports. In this era the
slogan "Cotton is king" characterized the attitude of the South toward this monocrop.
Cotton remained a key crop in the Southern economy after emancipation and the end of the Civil War in 1865.
Across the South, sharecropping evolved, in which landless black and white farmers worked land owned by others in
return for a share of the profits. Some farmers rented the land and bore the production costs themselves. Until
mechanical cotton pickers were developed, cotton farmers needed additional labor to hand-pick cotton. Picking
cotton was a source of income for families across the South. Rural and small town school systems had split vacations
so children could work in the fields during "cotton-picking."
It was not until the 1950s that reliable harvesting machinery was introduced (prior to this, cotton-harvesting
machinery had been too clumsy to pick cotton without shredding the fibers).[citation needed] During the first half of the
20th century, employment in the cotton industry fell, as machines began to replace laborers and the South's rural
labor force dwindled during the World Wars.
Cotton remains a major export of the southern United States, and a majority of the world's annual cotton crop is of
the long-staple American variety.[43]

Cultivation

Cotton field

Cotton plant

A cotton field, late in the season

Cotton plowing in Togo, 1928

Picking cotton in Armenia in the 1930s. No cotton is grown there today.

Cotton ready for shipment, Houston, Texas (postcard, circa 1911)

Cotton modules in Australia (2007)

Successful cultivation of cotton requires a long frost-free period, plenty of sunshine, and a moderate rainfall, usually
from 60 to 120 cm (24 to 47 in). Soils usually need to be fairly heavy, although the level of nutrients does not need to
be exceptional. In general, these conditions are met within the seasonally dry tropics and subtropics in the Northern
and Southern hemispheres, but a large proportion of the cotton grown today is cultivated in areas with less rainfall
that obtain the water from irrigation. Production of the crop for a given year usually starts soon after harvesting the
preceding autumn. Cotton is naturally a perennial but is grown as an annual to help control pests.[44] Planting time in
spring in the Northern hemisphere varies from the beginning of February to the beginning of June. The area of the
United States known as the South Plains is the largest contiguous cotton-growing region in the world. While dryland
(non-irrigated) cotton is successfully grown in this region, consistent yields are only produced with heavy reliance
on irrigation water drawn from the Ogallala Aquifer. Since cotton is somewhat salt and drought tolerant, this makes
it an attractive crop for arid and semiarid regions. As water resources get tighter around the world, economies that
rely on it face difficulties and conflict, as well as potential environmental problems.[45][46][47][48][49] For example,
improper cropping and irrigation practices have led to desertification in areas of Uzbekistan, where cotton is a major
export. In the days of the Soviet Union, the Aral Sea was tapped for agricultural irrigation, largely of cotton, and
now salination is widespread.[48][49]
Cotton can also be cultivated to have colors other than the yellowish off-white typical of modern commercial cotton
fibers. Naturally colored cotton can come in red, green, and several shades of brown.[50]
Genetic modification
Main article: Bt cotton
Genetically modified (GM) cotton was developed to reduce the heavy reliance on pesticides. The bacterium Bacillus
thuringiensis (Bt) naturally produces a chemical harmful only to a small fraction of insects, most notably the larvae
of moths and butterflies, beetles, and flies, and harmless to other forms of life.[51][52][53] The gene coding for Bt toxin
has been inserted into cotton, causing cotton, called Bt cotton, to produce this natural insecticide in its tissues. In
many regions, the main pests in commercial cotton are lepidopteran larvae, which are killed by the Bt protein in the
transgenic cotton they eat. This eliminates the need to use large amounts of broad-spectrum insecticides to kill
lepidopteran pests (some of which have developed pyrethroid resistance). This spares natural insect predators in the
farm ecology and further contributes to noninsecticide pest management.
But Bt cotton is ineffective against many cotton pests, however, such as plant bugs, stink bugs, and aphids;
depending on circumstances it may still be desirable to use insecticides against these. A 2006 study done by Cornell
researchers, the Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy and the Chinese Academy of Science on Bt cotton farming in
China found that after seven years these secondary pests that were normally controlled by pesticide had increased,
necessitating the use of pesticides at similar levels to non-Bt cotton and causing less profit for farmers because of
the extra expense of GM seeds.[54] However, a 2009 study by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Stanford University
and Rutgers University refuted this.[55] They concluded that the GM cotton effectively controlled bollworm. The
secondary pests were mostly miridae (plant bugs) whose increase was related to local temperature and rainfall and
only continued to increase in half the villages studied. Moreover, the increase in insecticide use for the control of
these secondary insects was far smaller than the reduction in total insecticide use due to Bt cotton adoption. A 2012
Chinese study concluded that Bt cotton halved the use of pesticides and doubled the level of ladybirds, lacewings
and spiders.[56][57] The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) said that,
worldwide, GM cotton was planted on an area of 25 million hectares in 2011.[58] This was 69% of the worldwide total
area planted in cotton.
GM cotton acreage in India grew at a rapid rate, increasing from 50,000 hectares in 2002 to 10.6 million hectares in
2011. The total cotton area in India was 12.1 million hectares in 2011, so GM cotton was grown on 88% of the cotton
area. This made India the country with the largest area of GM cotton in the world.[58] A long-term study on the
economic impacts of Bt cotton in India, published in the Journal PNAS in 2012, showed that Bt cotton has increased
yields, profits, and living standards of smallholder farmers.[59] The U.S. GM cotton crop was 4.0 million hectares in
2011 the second largest area in the world, the Chinese GM cotton crop was third largest by area with 3.9 million
hectares and Pakistan had the fourth largest GM cotton crop area of 2.6 million hectares in 2011. [58] The initial
introduction of GM cotton proved to be a success in Australia the yields were equivalent to the non-transgenic
varieties and the crop used much less pesticide to produce (85% reduction).[60] The subsequent introduction of a
second variety of GM cotton led to increases in GM cotton production until 95% of the Australian cotton crop was
GM in 2009[61] making Australia the country with the fifth largest GM cotton crop in the world.[58]Other GM cotton
growing countries in 2011 were Argentina, Myanmar, Burkina Faso, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, South Africa and Costa
Rica.[58]
Cotton has been genetically modified for resistance to glyphosate a broad-spectrum herbicide discovered by
Monsanto which also sells some of the Bt cotton seeds to farmers. There are also a number of other cotton seed
companies selling GM cotton around the world. About 62% of the GM cotton grown from 1996 to 2011 was insect
resistant, 24% stacked product and 14% herbicide resistant.[58]
Cotton has gossypol, a toxin that makes it inedible. However, scientists have silenced the gene that produces the
toxin, making it a potential food crop.[62]
Organic production
Organic cotton is generally understood as cotton from plants not genetically modified and that is certified to be
grown without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals, such as fertilizers or pesticides.[63] Its production also
promotes and enhances biodiversity and biological cycles.[64] In the United States, organic cotton plantations are
required to enforce the National Organic Program (NOP). This institution determines the allowed practices for pest
control, growing, fertilizing, and handling of organic crops.[65][66] As of 2007, 265,517 bales of organic cotton were
produced in 24 countries, and worldwide production was growing at a rate of more than 50% per year.[67]

Pests and weeds

Main article: List of cotton diseases
Hoeing a cotton field to remove weeds, Greene County, Georgia, US, 1941

Female and nymph Cotton Harlequin Bug

The cotton industry relies heavily on chemicals, such as herbicides, fertilizers and insecticides, although a very small
number of farmers are moving toward an organic model of production, and organic cotton products are now
available for purchase at limited locations. These are popular for baby clothes and diapers. Under most definitions,
organic products do not use genetic engineering. All natural cotton products are known to be both sustainable and
hypoallergenic.
Historically, in North America, one of the most economically destructive pests in cotton production has been the boll
weevil. Due to the US Department of Agriculture's highly successful Boll Weevil Eradication Program (BWEP), this
pest has been eliminated from cotton in most of the United States. This program, along with the introduction of
genetically engineered Bt cotton (which contains a bacterial gene that codes for a plant-produced protein that is
toxic to a number of pests such as cotton bollworm and pink bollworm), has allowed a reduction in the use of
synthetic insecticides.
Other significant global pests of cotton include the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella; the chili
thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis; the cotton seed bug, Oxycarenus hyalinipennis; the tarnish plant bug, Lygus lineolaris;
and the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, Xanthomonas citri subsp. malvacearum.

Harvesting

Offloading freshly harvested cotton into a module builder in Texas; previously built modules can be seen in the
background

Cotton being picked by hand in India, 2005.

Most cotton in the United States, Europe and Australia is harvested mechanically, either by a cotton picker, a
machine that removes the cotton from the boll without damaging the cotton plant, or by a cotton stripper, which
strips the entire boll off the plant. Cotton strippers are used in regions where it is too windy to grow picker varieties
of cotton, and usually after application of a chemical defoliant or the natural defoliation that occurs after a freeze.
Cotton is a perennial crop in the tropics, and without defoliation or freezing, the plant will continue to grow.
Cotton continues to be picked by hand in developing countries.[68]
Competition from synthetic fibers
The era of manufactured fibers began with the development of rayon in France in the 1890s. Rayon is derived from a
natural cellulose and cannot be considered synthetic, but requires extensive processing in a manufacturing process,
and led the less expensive replacement of more naturally derived materials. A succession of new synthetic fibers
were introduced by the chemicals industry in the following decades. Acetate in fiber form was developed in
1924. Nylon, the first fiber synthesized entirely from petrochemicals, was introduced as a sewing thread by DuPont
in 1936, followed by DuPont's acrylic in 1944. Some garments were created from fabrics based on these fibers, such
as women's hosieryfrom nylon, but it was not until the introduction of polyester into the fiber marketplace in the
early 1950s that the market for cotton came under threat.[69] The rapid uptake of polyester garments in the 1960s
caused economic hardship in cotton-exporting economies, especially in Central American countries, such
as Nicaragua, where cotton production had boomed tenfold between 1950 and 1965 with the advent of cheap
chemical pesticides. Cotton production recovered in the 1970s, but crashed to pre-1960 levels in the early 1990s.[70]

Uses
Cotton is used to make a number of textile products. These include terrycloth for highly absorbent
bath towels and robes; denim for blue jeans; cambric, popularly used in the manufacture of blue work shirts (from
which we get the term "blue-collar"); and corduroy, seersucker, and cotton twill. Socks, underwear, and most T-
shirts are made from cotton. Bed sheets often are made from cotton. Cotton also is used to make yarn used
in crochet and knitting. Fabric also can be made from recycled or recovered cotton that otherwise would be thrown
away during the spinning, weaving, or cutting process. While many fabrics are made completely of cotton, some
materials blend cotton with other fibers, including rayon and synthetic fibers such as polyester. It can either be used
in knitted or woven fabrics, as it can be blended with elastine to make a stretchier thread for knitted fabrics, and
apparel such as stretch jeans. Cotton can be blended also with linen as Linen-cotton blends which give benefit of
both plant materials which wrinkle resistant, lightweight, breathable and can keep heat more effectively than only
linen. These blends are thinner and lighter, but stronger than only cotton.[71]
In addition to the textile industry, cotton is used in fishing nets, coffee filters, tents, explosives manufacture
(see nitrocellulose), cotton paper, and in bookbinding. The first Chinese paper was made of cotton fiber.[citation
needed]
Fire hoses were once made of cotton.
The cottonseed which remains after the cotton is ginned is used to produce cottonseed oil, which, after refining, can
be consumed by humans like any other vegetable oil. The cottonseed meal that is left generally is fed
to ruminant livestock; the gossypol remaining in the meal is toxic to monogastric animals. Cottonseed hulls can be
added to dairy cattle rations for roughage. During the American slavery period, cotton root bark was used in folk
remedies as an abortifacient, that is, to induce a miscarriage. Gossypol was one of the many substances found in all
parts of the cotton plant and it was described by the scientists as 'poisonous pigment'. It also appears to inhibit the
development of sperm or even restrict the mobility of the sperm. Also, it is thought to interfere with the menstrual
cycle by restricting the release of certain hormones.[72]
Cotton linters are fine, silky fibers which adhere to the seeds of the cotton plant after ginning. These curly fibers
typically are less than 18 inch (3.2 mm) long. The term also may apply to the longer textile fiber staple lint as well as
the shorter fuzzy fibers from some upland species. Linters are traditionally used in the manufacture of paper and as
a raw material in the manufacture of cellulose. In the UK, linters are referred to as "cotton wool". This can also be a
refined product (absorbent cotton in U.S. usage) which has medical, cosmetic and many other practical uses. The
first medical use of cotton wool was by Sampson Gamgee at the Queen's Hospital (later the General Hospital)
in Birmingham, England.
Shiny cotton is a processed version of the fiber that can be made into cloth resembling satin for shirts and suits.
However, it is hydrophobic (does not absorb water easily), which makes it unfit for use in bath and dish towels
(although examples of these made from shiny cotton are seen).
The name Egyptian cotton is broadly associated with quality products, however only a small percentage of "Egyptian
cotton" products are actually of superior quality. Most products bearing the name are not made with cotton from
Egypt.[73]
Pima cotton is often compared to Egyptian cotton, as both are used in high quality bed sheets and other cotton
products. It is considered the next best quality after high quality Egyptian cotton by some authorities. Pima cotton is
grown in the American southwest. Not all products bearing the Pima name are made with the finest cotton. The
Pima name is now used by cotton-producing nations such as Peru, Australia and Israel.[74]
Cotton in a tree
Cotton lisle is a finely-spun, tightly twisted type of cotton that is noted for being strong and durable. Lisle is
composed of two strands that have each been twisted an extra twist per inch than ordinary yarns and combined to
create a single thread. The yarn is spun so that it is compact and solid. This cotton is used mainly for underwear,
stockings, and gloves. Colors applied to this yarn are noted for being more brilliant than colors applied to softer yarn.
This type of thread was first made in the city of Lisle, France (now Lille), hence its name.[75][76][77]

International trade

Worldwide cotton production

The largest producers of cotton, currently (2009), are China and India, with annual production of about 34 million
bales and 33.4 million bales, respectively; most of this production is consumed by their respective textile industries.
The largest exporters of raw cotton are the United States, with sales of $4.9 billion, and Africa, with sales of $2.1
billion. The total international trade is estimated to be $12 billion. Africa's share of the cotton trade has doubled
since 1980. Neither area has a significant domestic textile industry, textile manufacturing having moved to
developing nations in Eastern and South Asia such as India and China. In Africa, cotton is grown by numerous small
holders. Dunavant Enterprises, based in Memphis, Tennessee, is the leading cotton broker in Africa, with hundreds
of purchasing agents. It operates cotton gins in Uganda, Mozambique, and Zambia. In Zambia, it often offers loans
for seed and expenses to the 180,000 small farmers who grow cotton for it, as well as advice on farming
methods. Cargill also purchases cotton in Africa for export.
The 25,000 cotton growers in the United States are heavily subsidized at the rate of $2 billion per year although
China now provides the highest overall level of cotton sector support.[78] The future of these subsidies is uncertain
and has led to anticipatory expansion of cotton brokers' operations in Africa. Dunavant expanded in Africa by buying
out local operations. This is only possible in former British colonies and Mozambique; former French colonies
continue to maintain tight monopolies, inherited from their former colonialist masters, on cotton purchases at low
fixed prices.[79]
Leading producer countries
Top 10 Cotton Producing Countries (in metric tonnes)
Rank Country 2010 2012 2014
1 China 5,970,000 6,281,000 6,532,000
2 India 5,683,000 6,071,000 6,423,000
3 United States 3,941,700 3,412,550 3,553,000
4 Pakistan 1,869,000 2,312,000 2,308,000
5 Brazil 973,449 1,673,337 1,524,103
6 Uzbekistan 1,136,120 983,400 849,000
7 Turkey 816,705 754,600 697,000
 8 Australia 386,800 473,497 501,000
9 Turkmenistan 230,000 295,000 210,000
10 Mexico 225,000 195,000 198,000
Source: UN Food & Agriculture Organization[80]

The five leading exporters of cotton in 2011 are (1) the United States, (2) India, (3) Brazil, (4) Australia, and
(5) Uzbekistan. The largest nonproducing importers are Korea, Taiwan, Russia, and Japan.[81]
In India, the states of Maharashtra (26.63%), Gujarat (17.96%) and Andhra Pradesh (13.75%) and also Madhya
Pradesh are the leading cotton producing states,[82] these states have a predominantly tropical wet and dry climate.
In the United States, the state of Texas led in total production as of 2004,[83] while the state of California had the
highest yield per acre.[84]
Fair trade
Cotton is an enormously important commodity throughout the world. However, many farmers in developing
countries receive a low price for their produce, or find it difficult to compete with developed countries.
This has led to an international dispute (see United States Brazil cotton dispute):
On 27 September 2002, Brazil requested consultations with the US regarding prohibited and actionable subsidies
provided to US producers, users and/or exporters of upland cotton, as well as legislation, regulations, statutory
instruments and amendments thereto providing such subsidies (including export credits), grants, and any other
assistance to the US producers, users and exporters of upland cotton.[85]
On 8 September 2004, the Panel Report recommended that the United States "withdraw" export credit guarantees
and payments to domestic users and exporters, and "take appropriate steps to remove the adverse effects or
withdraw" the mandatory price-contingent subsidy measures.[86]
While Brazil was fighting the US through the WTO's Dispute Settlement Mechanism against a heavily subsidized
cotton industry, a group of four least-developed African countries Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Mali also
known as "Cotton-4" have been the leading protagonist for the reduction of US cotton subsidies through
negotiations. The four introduced a "Sectoral Initiative in Favour of Cotton", presented by Burkina Faso's President
Blaise Compaor during the Trade Negotiations Committee on 10 June 2003.[87]
In addition to concerns over subsidies, the cotton industries of some countries are criticized for employing child
labor and damaging workers' health by exposure to pesticides used in production. The Environmental Justice
Foundation has campaigned against the prevalent use of forced child and adult labor in cotton production
in Uzbekistan, the world's third largest cotton exporter.[88] The international production and trade situation has led
to "fair trade" cotton clothing and footwear, joining a rapidly growing market for organic clothing, fair fashion or
"ethical fashion". The fair trade system was initiated in 2005 with producers from Cameroon, Mali and Senegal.[89]
Trade

A display from a British cotton manufacturer of items used in a cotton mill during the Industrial Revolution.
A bale of cotton on display at the Louisiana State Cotton Museum in Lake Providence in East Carroll Parishin
northeastern Louisiana
Cotton is bought and sold by investors and price speculators as a tradable commodity on 2 different stock exchanges
in the United States of America.

Cotton No. 2 futures contracts are traded on the New York Board of Trade (NYBOT) under the ticker symbol CT.
They are delivered every year in March, May, July, October, and December.[90]
Cotton futures contracts are traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) under the ticker symbol TT.
They are delivered every year in March, May, July, October, and December.[91]
Critical temperatures

Favorable travel temperature range: below 25 C (77 F)

Optimum travel temperature: 21 C (70 F)
Glow temperature: 205 C (401 F)
Fire point: 210 C (410 F)
Autoignition temperature: 360 C (680 F) - 425 C (797 F)[92]
Autoignition temperature (for oily cotton): 120 C (248 F)
A temperature range of 25 to 35 C (77 to 95 F) is the optimal range for mold development. At temperatures below
0 C (32 F), rotting of wet cotton stops. Damaged cotton is sometimes stored at these temperatures to prevent
further deterioration.[93]

British standard yarn measures

1 thread = 55 in or 140 cm
1 skein or rap = 80 threads (120 yd or 110 m)
1 hank = 7 skeins (840 yd or 770 m)
1 spindle = 18 hanks (15,120 yd or 13.83 km)

Fiber properties
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Property Evaluation

Fairly uniform in width, 1220 micrometers;

Shape length varies from 1 cm to 6 cm ( to 2 inches);
typical length is 2.2 cm to 3.3 cm ( to 1 inches).

Luster high

Tenacity (strength)
Dry 3.05.0 g/d
Wet 3.36.0 g/d

Resiliency low

Density 1.541.56 g/cm

Moisture absorption
raw: conditioned 8.5%
saturation 1525%
mercerized: conditioned 8.510.3%
saturation 1527%+

Dimensional stability good

Resistance to
acids damage, weaken fibers
alkali resistant; no harmful effects
organic solvents high resistance to most
sunlight Prolonged exposure weakens fibers.
microorganisms Mildew and rot-producing bacteria damage fibers.
insects Silverfish damage fibers.

Thermal reactions
to heat Decomposes after prolonged exposure to temperatures of 150 C or over.
to flame Burns readily.

Cotton fibers viewed under a scanning electron microscope

The chemical composition of cotton is as follows:

cellulose 91.00%
water 7.85%
protoplasm, pectins 0.55%
waxes, fatty substances 0.40%
mineral salts 0.20%

Cotton genome
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A public genome sequencing effort of cotton was initiated[94] in 2007 by a consortium of public researchers. They
agreed on a strategy to sequence the genome of cultivated, tetraploid cotton. "Tetraploid" means that cultivated
cotton actually has two separate genomes within its nucleus, referred to as the A and D genomes. The sequencing
consortium first agreed to sequence the D-genome relative of cultivated cotton (G. raimondii, a wild Central
American cotton species) because of its small size and limited number of repetitive elements. It is nearly one-third
the number of bases of tetraploid cotton (AD), and each chromosome is only present once. [clarification needed] The A
genome of G. arboreum would be sequenced next. Its genome is roughly twice the size of G. raimondii's. Part of the
difference in size between the two genomes is the amplification of retrotransposons (GORGE). Once both diploid
genomes are assembled, then research could begin sequencing the actual genomes of cultivated cotton varieties.
This strategy is out of necessity; if one were to sequence the tetraploid genome without model diploid genomes, the
euchromatic DNA sequences of the AD genomes would co-assemble and the repetitive elements of AD genomes
would assembly independently into A and D sequences respectively. Then there would be no way to untangle the
mess of AD sequences without comparing them to their diploid counterparts.
The public sector effort continues with the goal to create a high-quality, draft genome sequence from reads
generated by all sources. The public-sector effort has generated Sanger reads of BACs, fosmids, and plasmids as well
as 454 reads. These later types of reads will be instrumental in assembling an initial draft of the D genome. In 2010,
two companies (Monsanto and Illumina), completed enough Illumina sequencing to cover the D genome of G.
raimondii about 50x.[95] They announced that they would donate their raw reads to the public. This public relations
effort gave them some recognition for sequencing the cotton genome. Once the D genome is assembled from all of
this raw material, it will undoubtedly assist in the assembly of the AD genomes of cultivated varieties of cotton, but a
lot of hard work remains.
USES OF COTTON

Cotton is known for its versatility, performance and natural comfort. Its used to make all kinds of clothes and
homewares as well as for industrial purposes like tarpaulins, tents, hotel sheets and army uniforms.

Cotton fibre can be woven or knitted into fabrics such as velvet, corduroy, chambray, velour, jersey and flannel. In
addition to textile products like underwear, socks and t-shirts, cotton is also used in fishnets, coffee filters, book
binding and archival paper. Cotton is a food AND a fibre crop. Cotton seed is fed to cattle and crushed to make oil.
This cottonseed oil is used for cooking and in products like soap, margarine, emulsifiers, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals,
rubber and plastics.

Linters are the very short fibres that remain on the cottonseed after ginning. They are used to produce goods such
as bandages, swabs, bank notes, cotton buds and x-rays.
Quick Links
Properties and Applications of Cotton Fibre
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Photo Credits: Wikimedia

1. Physical and Chemical Properties of Cotton Fibre
1.1. Length
 Staple length of cotton fibre varies from 10mm 80mm.
1.2. Fibre Fineness
Wall thickness of different cotton ranges from 3.2-10 (Micron). Ribbon width ranges from 12-25. Cotton
fibre fineness is measured at middle portion of fibre because the tip and end of the fibre is slightly tapered.
1.3. Fibre surface
The surface of cotton fibre, seen at high magnification is wrinkled and striated and its cross section is kidney
shaped.
1.4. Tensile Strength
Cotton is a moderately strong fibre, tenacity is 3.0-5.0 g/den. The strength is affected greatly by moisture
and by the test conditions such as rate of loading, and length of fibre section tested. The long, fine cottons, such as
Sea Island and Egyptian, yield the strongest yarns and materials. Long and fine fibres of good strength can thus be
spun into finer yarns.
1.5. Elongation
Cotton does not stretch easily. It's elongation at break of 5-10%.
1.6. Elastic Properties
Cotton is a relatively inelastic, rigid fibre. At 2% extension it has an elastic recovery of 74%; at 5% extension,
the elastic recovery is 45%.
1.7. Density
The density of the cotton fibre is 1.54 gm/cm3.
1.8. Effects of Moisture
Under Standard atmospheric conditions, cotton takes up about 6-8% of moisture regain. At 100% humidity,
cotton has an absorbency of 25-27%.
Each unhydroglucose unit in cellulose has three hydroxyl groups. On an average one out of these three
hydroxyl groups on each glucose residue is a site for moisture absorption. Amount of moisture in cotton depends on
temperature and relative humidity (R.H.).
The tensile properties of cotton fibres and yarns are affected appreciably by the amount of moisture
absorbed by the fibres. Cotton yarns will continue to become stronger at high relative humidity. Up to a relative
humidity of 100%, absorption of water by the cotton cellulose results in an increase in fibre strength. At higher
humidity fibre absorbs more water due to breakage of hydrogen bonds in amorphous region and availability of more
hydroxyl groups. Also Fibres saturated with water are about 20% stronger than dry fibres. The swelling of cotton
yarns and fabrics in water is accompanied by some shrinkage.
1.9. Effect of Heat
Cotton has an excellent resistance to degradation by heat. It begins to turn yellow after several hours at
120 C and decomposes markedly at 1500C, as a result of oxidation. Cotton is severely damaged after a few minutes
0

at 2400C. Cotton ignites easily and burns readily in air with odor similar to that of burning paper.
1.10. Effect of Aging
Cotton shows only a small loss of strength when stored carefully. It can be kept in the warehouse for long
periods without any significant deterioration. After 50 years of storage, cotton may differ only slightly from fibre a
year or two old. Ancient samples of cotton fabric taken from tombs more than 500 years old had four fifths of the
strength of new material.
1.11. Effect of Sunlight
There is a gradual loss of strength when cotton is exposed to sunlight, and yellow. The degradation of cotton
by oxidation when heated is promoted and encouraged by sunlight. It is particularly severe at high temperatures and
in the presence of moisture. Much of the damage is caused by ultra-violet light and by the shorter Waves of visible
light. Under certain the effects of weathering in direct sunlight can be serious. The cotton can be protected to some
degree by using suitable dyes.
1.12. Effect of Acids
 Cotton is attacked by hot dilute acids or cold concentrated acids, in which it disintegrates. It is not affected by
cold weak acids.
1.13. Effect of Alkali
Cotton has an excellent resistance to alkalis. It swells in caustic alkali but is not damaged. It can be washed
repeatedly in soap solutions without harm.
Mercerization
Cotton can be mercerized by treating with or without tension in a strong solution of alkali like sodium
hydroxide (NaOH). Due to the mercerization the swelling of the fibre takes place. The proper can be improved like:
Shrinkage in yarn or fabric due to swelling
Improvement in luster
Improvement in tensile strength
Improvement in dyeabiliy and its uniformity
Improvement in dimensional stability
1.14. Effect of Organic Solvents
There are very few solvents that will dissolve cotton completely. It has a high resistance to normal solvents
but is dispersed by the copper complexes cuprammonium hydroxide and cupriethylene diamine, and by
concentrated (70%) H2S04
1.15. Micro-organisms
Cotton is attacked by fungi, bacteria. Mildews, for example, will feed on cotton because of this rotting
(decomposing) and weakening the material takes place. They have a characteristic musty smell and stain the fabric
with naturally produced pigments. Mildews are particularly troublesome on cotton that has been treated with
starchy finishes, and much of the damage can be avoided by thorough scouring. The pure cellulose is a less attractive
food for mildew than the starch Mildews and bacteria will flourish on cotton under hot, moist conditions.
When cottonfabrics are to be used under conditions favorable to attack by micro-organisms, they can be protected
by impregnation with certain types of chemical. Copper compounds, such as copper naphthenate, will destroy
organisms that would otherwise attack the cotton cellulose.
2. Applications of Cotton
1. Poplins, voiles are made by using Cotton.
2. Cotton is used in great quantity as a fabric for hot weather wear.
3. The absorbency of cotton makes it an excellent material for household fabrics such as sheets and towels.
4. Cotton is widely used in making rainwear fabrics. It can be woven tightly to keep out the driving wind arid
rain, yet the fabric will allow perspiration to escape.
5. Ventile fabrics, for example, are close-woven cotton materials of this sort which are given additional water
resistance by a chemical proofing.
6. It goes into clothing (shirts, T-shirts, trousers, denim, etc.), undergarments, boots and shoes, carpets and
curtains, hats, etc.
7. Heavy cotton yarns and materials are used for tyre cords and marquees, tarpaulins and industrial fabrics of
all descriptions.
8. Cotton can be blended with other fibres like polyester, rayon to manufacture fabric for different
applications.
Chemical Structure of Cotton Fibre
September 17, 2016 Ashish Hulle 0 Natural Fibres, Textile Fibres
Cotton is the natural fibre of vegetable origin. It is considered as King of the Textile Fibres. It is composed of
cellulose. Each fibre is made up of 20-30 layers of cellulose coiled on a neat series of natural springs. The cellulose is
arranged in a way that gives cotton fibres high strength, durability and absorbency.
Cellulose is one of the main constituent of the cotton fibre. in nature, plants utilize CO2 present in air &
water & build up compounds containing C, H, and O in the presence of sunlight. This reaction is called
photosynthesis. Glucose is one of the product formed this way.
Figure 1 Glucose

Figure 2 Cellobiose

Figure 3 Cellulose
 Figure 4 Chemical structure of cotton fibre
Photo Credits: Trisha Jain (nutrientreview.com)

When two glucose combine, cellobiose molecule is formed and when cellobiose molecules combine with
each other, giant cellulose molecule is formed. These cellubiose molecules thus linked through strong oxygen bridge
lengthwise. Also by comparatively weaker forces side way, in areas where these sideways forces are
operating, crystalline region is formed and the places where these forces are not operating, amorphous region is
formed.
MORPHOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF COTTON FIBRE
September 15, 2016 Ashish Hulle 0 Natural Fibres, Textile Fibres

Cotton is a seed hair fibre. It grows in the form of a single cell merging from the epidermis or outer layer of
cotton seed. Each flower of cotton plant may produce 20-25 seeds enclosed in a green boll. When the growth ceases
(stops), the boll splits. The fibres grow in a tubular form, with a well-developed wall enclosing the lumens running
down the centre. When the boll splits, the moisture inside it evaporates. As drying proceeds, the wall of the fibre
shrinks and collapses, on drying and collapsing of the fibre, the cylindrical cross-section is converted in to convoluted
ribbon form with the flattening of the ribbon Morphological structure of cotton consists of four parts. These are:
1. Cuticle
2. Primary Wall
3. Secondary Wall
4. Lumen
Following figure shows the morphological structure of cotton fibre.

Figure 1 Morphology of Cotton Fibre

Photo Credit: NPTEL

Figure 2 Morphology of Cotton Fibre

CUTICLE
The cuticle of the cotton fibre is a very thin layer tightly attached to the outside of primary wall. More
accurately, cotton fibre is enclosed in cuticle which protects the fibre from any mechanical and chemical damages.
The cuticle consists of cotton wax, mixture of fats, waxes and oils. During initial stages of growth, the cuticle appears
as an oily film. During the later stage, the cuticle becomes hard like a varnish.
PRIMARY WALL
The primary wall is built up from cellulose. It also contains pectineus substances. The cellulose appears to
concentrate from the growth period and increases proportionally later stage of cell elongation. On the surface, the
molecular chains in the primary wall are arranged in a random manner without any orientation and definite order.
However, cellulose present inside the primary wall is in the form of fine threads or fibrils, when observed through
microscope. The fibrils are not parallel to the fibre axis but spiral at an angle of about 700 round the fibre axis. The
spirals do not reverse in their direction; the spiral angle is greater at the tip and smaller at the base. The diameter of
the cotton fibre is fairly constant throughout the length except at the base and the tip. The diameter of the fibre is in
the order of 15-20 microns, whereas the primary wall is very thin and about 0.1-0.2 micron thick.

SECONDARY WALL
It is composed mainly of cellulose and contributes most of the weight to the fibre, in general, within the primary
wall, the bulk of the fibre consists of secondary wall. Like primary wall, it consists of concentric layers of fibrils in
spiral formation. The outer layers of secondary wall, deposited near the primary wall are built up of fibrils at spiral
angle of about 200-300 The fibrils in the subsequent layers are finer than former and the spiraling angle is about 200 -
450 The spiral angle changes slightly in magnitude between the outside and the inside. The spirals also change their
direction of rotation at frequent intervals along the fibre length at the reversal point, they simply form a curve.
Always the second set of fibril begins in the opposite direction. In all the layers, the fibrils tend to follow a closely
similar pattern. Arrangement of chain molecules in different parts is shown in fig. 1.
LUMEN
At the centre of the growing fibre, there is a lumen, which remains as cylindrical void at maturity. The area is
about 30-35% of the total area of cross section. The lumen content evaporates after the boll splits. After drying and
collapsing of the fibre, the area of lumen is reduced to about 5% of the total area. Of course, there is variation from
fibre to fibre. In the dried state, lumen contains colouring matters apart from other impurities, which decides the
colour of the fibre.
CONVOLUTIONS
After bursting of the mature boll, the wall of the fibre shrinks and collapses, on drying and collapsing of the
fibre, the cylindrical cross-section is converted in to convoluted ribbon form with the flattening of the ribbon. Due to
the spiral structure, collapse results twisting of the fibre about axis. The direction of rotation convolution change at
irregular interval along the length of the fibre at places determined by reversal point in pattern of fibrillar spiral in
secondary walls. The convolution arises in order to relieve the internal stresses during the drying and collapse of
cotton fibre and as shown in figure below:
 Figure 3 Convoluted Cotton Fibres

MATURITY OF THE COTTON FIBRE

When the cotton fibre starts developing on cotton plant, initially it is like a hollow tube having only primary
wall. As the time passes secondary wall depositions will go on taking place on inside pad of the primary wall and the
hollow tube will start filling up.
When the cotton fibre is fully developed, ideally the secondary wall occupies 85-90% of the cross section of the fibre
leaving a small capillary at the centre called as Lumen. The secondary wall gives the strength and rigidity to the
fibres. In a fully developed fibre called as mature fibre the secondary wall development is complete (85-90% of the
cross section) and lumen size is small thus these fibres are having more strength and rigidity and therefore better
mechanical properties.
Many a times, due to certain reasons, the secondary wall development does not take place fully and then
the fibres remain under developed or immature. Due less development oi the secondary wall in immature fibre the
size of the lumen is bigger. The immature fibres therefore have lower strength and they are less rigid or more
flexible. Due to this higher flexibility these fibres form more entanglements during processing which results in neps
(entangled mass of fibres). Thus immature fibres will give yarns with lower strength and higher neps. Due to less
secondary wall deposition the immature fibres will also pickup less dye during chemical processing.

Cultivation of Cotton
September 18, 2016 Ashish Hulle 0 Natural Fibres, Textile Fibres
Cotton is primarily grown in dry tropical and subtropical climates at temperature between 25-280C. It is
warm climate crop. Excessive exposure to dryness or moisture deteriorate the quality as well as yield (Production).
Cotton seeds should be planted in well prepared moist soil with high nutrient supplying capacity. Ridges are
made on the soil before sowing the cotton seeds. Planting period varies in different regions. In U.S., usually it is
March or April. While in India it is from April to August. The seeds are planted 1-10 cm deep and in rows/ridges
which are 1 m apart. If the soil is sufficiently warm and moist, germination and seedling development starts. Young
plant pushes up through the surface of the soil in 8-12 days. If the soil is too dry, germination may not take place and
if it is wet and cold, germination is slow and uncertain. The leaves and the stem of young plants are very tender
(Young and Immature). Leaves then become dark olive green and the plants grow rapidly. Flowering generally starts
one and half months to two months after the crop is planted. Blooming will continue regularly for several weeks,
even months as long as growing conditions are suitable. Formation of cotton flower bud takes place in this period.
The open flower of cotton plant is yellowish to white in colour on first day. It turns pink on second day. This flower
lasts for day or so and on third day flower falls down. After disappearance of the flower, the inner part of the bloom
gradually develops into fruit which is called as Cotton Boll. Cotton bolls keep growing till full size. It will take about
two months between blooming and 1st day of opening the boll. The immature seeds thus formed, grow rapidly and
large cotton boll mature in 40-50 days. Cotton. Cotton fibres grow inside the closed boll on the cotton seed. Each
cotton seed may contain 20,000 fibres on its surface and a single boll may contain 1,50,000 fibres or more.

Photo Credit: cottonsjourney

Figure 1 Cultivation of cotton
When seeds are nearly ripe, the boll bursts and opens. The cotton hairs project (Come out/ Exposed)
forming a white fluffy mass which is usually accommodated in four sections on the boll as shown in following figure.

Photo Credit: wikimedia

Figure: Open Cotton Boll
The fibres now complete their ripening, the cell contents gradually dry up leaving the commercial cotton
fibre. The drying of the fibre takes place under the influence of sun, which produces curl or twist in fibre, called
as Convolutions. This is very important characteristic of cotton fibre. Number of convolutions vary according to
quality of cotton.
Sr. No. Cotton Variety No. of Convolutions/inch
1 Sea Island 300
2 Egyptian 230
3 American 190
4 Indian 150
 The bolls are now ready for harvesting. Cotton fibres are picked from boll either by hand picking or by means
of machines.
After the cotton has been gathered, the cotton fibres are separated from seed by a process called
as Ginning. The fibres collected after ginning process contain fragments of seed coats, leaves, stem, other impurities,
etc. Depending on the fibre quality, the ginned cotton is graded and pressed into bales and then transported to the
spinning mill.
Yield
The possibilities of improving any Cotton plant for a better production per acre are almost unlimited. Higher
production for a constant area can be achieved by: (a) timely planting, (b) addition of soil, (c) utilization of healthy
and better seed, (d) addition of fertilizer in appropriate time, (e) weed control, (by controlling insects by chemicals,
(f) watering by irrigation, (g) defoliation and (h) timely harvesting of the cotton balls. The proper selection of land for
best yield is another most important factor.
The yield per acre in the world is approximately 320 kg. The yield per acre in India is only 170 kg.

Cottons Major Uses

U.S. textile mills presently consume approximately 7.6 million

bales of cotton a year. Eventually, about 57% of it is converted
into apparel, more than a third into home furnishings and the
remainder into industrial products.

Cottons competitive share of U.S. produced textile end-uses

shows a steady increase, presently standing at approximately
34%. Cottons share
of the retail apparel
and home
furnishings market
has grown from a
historic low of 34% in the early 1970s
to more than 60% today.

Cotton is used for virtually every

type of clothing, from coats and
jackets to foundation garments.
Most of its apparel usage, however,
is for men and boys clothing. Cotton supplies over 70% of this
market, with jeans, shirts and underwear being major items.

In home furnishings, cottons uses

range from bedspreads to window
shades. It is by far the dominant fiber
in towels and washcloths, supplying
almost 100% of that market. Cotton
is popular in sheets and pillowcases,
where it holds over 60% of the
market.

Industrial products containing cotton

are as diverse as wall coverings,
bookbindings and zipper tapes. The
biggest cotton users in this category, however, are medical supplies, industrial thread and tarpaulins.
 Cotton is an ancient fibre known for its versatility, natural comfort and performance. Since the pre Christian era,
cotton is woven with matchless skill and its fame spread across various countries. Cotton pieces are said to be found
in the tombs in Egypt and Peru. Cotton pieces were found in a Mexican cave which is believed to be around 7000
years old. Herodotus has described cotton as tree wool and cotton plants as a wild tree which has fruits of wool.
Such is the enthralling virtue of cotton.

Various Retail Applications of Cotton:

Cotton is primarily made into yarns and threads to be used in the manufacture of clothing that constitutes to 60
percent of the cotton consumption. It is also used to make home furnishings like cushions, mattresses etc.

Cotton outputs:

Apparels - that are 100 percent cotton and also a fine blend of other fibres.
Home textiles - curtains, cushions, draperies, rugs etc.
Medical, surgical, and sanitary products.
Industrial abrasives.
Book bindings.
Accessories like handbags, shoes etc.

Various products are made from cotton. 63 percent of the cotton

fibres are used in apparel manufacturing, 29 percent in home
furnishings, and 8 percent in manufacturing of Industrial products.
The fibre that is separated from cotton called lint is used for
making fabrics, automobile products, cords etc. The linters
obtained from cotton seeds are rich in cellulose. Fibres taken from
the cotton plant is used for making paper, cardboard etc. Hull of
cotton is used as fertilizer. Cotton is an important fibre for the
manufacturing of towels, wash clothes; bath robes etc and
contribute to nearly 100 percent of the total market. It is used to
manufacture every type of clothing including in-flight space suits,
and has a major contribution towards boys and mens clothing with
more than 70 percent of the market with jeans, jackets and other garments.
With different finishing process applied to cotton fibres, various special materials are made which are put to
different uses. It is effectively used in fishnets, coffee filters, tents and book binding. Fire hoses were earlier made
out of cotton. In industrial uses of cotton, grades defined by the US Department of Agriculture are generally
accepted as the world standards for cotton fibre quality.

COTTON FIBRE major uses include wearing apparel, home furnishings, and other industrial uses (such as medical
supplies). The cotton fibre is made primarily into yearns and threads for use in the textile and apparel sectors
(wearing apparel would account for approximately 60% of cotton consumption). Cotton is also used to make home
furnishings, such as draperies (eventually the third major end use) or professional garments (about 5% of cotton
fibre demand).
Besides traditional uses and as a result of different finishing processes that have been applied to the cotton fibre,
cotton is made into specialty materials suitable for a great variety of uses. Cotton fabrics with specialty applications
include, for example, fire-proof (flame resistant) apparel, which is suitable for professional uses and provides
effective protection against potential risks associated with high temperature and particularly flashover. Flame
resistant cotton fabrics are treated with chemicals. Without chemical treatment, cotton would burn up releasing
very strong heat, just like the major part of synthetic fibres, which melt when they are exposed to high
temperatures.
Cotton also finds specialty applications in medical and hygienic uses. Most notably, the fibre is used
to manufacture hydrophile cotton (cotton wool), compress, gauze bandages, tampons or sanitary towels, and cotton
swabs. In this field, the most suitable cotton variety is the species Gossypium herbaceum with short-staple thick
fibres.
One development that will most likely affect cotton consumption patterns is the marketing of coloured fibres
tailored to the needs of the textile industry. Substantial technological advances have taken place in this area.
According to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Burkina Faso: In China for example, one
does not make any more dyeing. China uses transgenic cotton plants which produce yellow, white, green, or red
cotton; to sum up, any customised colour grade.
Cotton demand is strongly influenced by comparative prices vis--vis man-made fibres (artificial and synthetic
fibres). Artificial fibres (like viscose rayon and acetates) are made from organic polymers derived from natural raw
materials, mainly cellulose. Synthetic fibres (including acrylics, polyamides, and polyesters) are generally derived
from petrochemicals petroleum products.

From the beginning of the 20th century until the end of the second world war (WWII) cotton had accounted
for 81% of world total fibre consumption. A shift occurred in the 1940s, when man-made fibres first appeared in the
market (accounting for 12% of the worlds total fibre consumption over the 1940s). As from the 1960s, with a
deepening of the trend since 1970, decline in cotton consumption has become more prominent. The ratio of cotton
in the fibre market decreased from 75% in 1940 to 68% in 1960. In 1970 cotton accounted for 57% of textile fibres.
Since the early 2000s, cotton has accounted for roughly 39% of world fibre consumption. By contrast, the share of
synthetic fibres rose to 58%, up from 5% in 1960.

Advantages, Disadvantages and Uses of Cotton Fiber

What Do You Mean by Organic Cotton? | Benefits of Cotton Fibre | Merits and Demerits of Cotton Fiber

What is Organic Cotton?

Cotton grown is there, where toxic chemicals have been eliminated in all growing process steps. Organic cotton is
manufactured from organically grow cotton plants. No chemical, pesticides or fertilizers are sued to grow it and the
final cloth or fabric is unbleached and dyed with the natural plant dyes which produce healthier fabrics.
 Cotton fiber
Advantages of Cotton:
A research proves that, you get a better nights sleep on cotton sheets than sheets made from synthetic fibres. It
should be noted here that, cotton naturally allows your skin to breathe and doesnt trap heat under the covers.

There are some other key advantages or cotton fibre. Those ares-
1. It is inexpensive,
2. It has absorbent properties.
3. It is breathable.
4. It is easier to wash and care for than others.
5. During working time, cotton cloths is too much perfect to wear.
6. Cotton is also too much soft.
Disadvantages of Cotton:
Those are in the below:
1. It is not wrinkle resistant.
2. It is likely to stretch or shrink.
3. Cotton takes a long time to dry.
4. The color fades in sunlight here.
Uses of Cotton:
There are so many uses of cotton which are presented in the below:
1. House or home textiles:
Table cloths, bed cloth, kitchen cloths, hand towels, furniture covering, carpets and bath towels etc.

2. Accessories:
Laces, trimmings, ribbons kerchiefs, hand, umbrella etc.

3. Apparel fabrics:
Night wear, blouses, shirts, rain wear, leisures wear, trousers etc.

4. Industrial textiles:
Workers protective clothing, cords, sewing threads, shoes, bags and medical suppliers etc.

Properties of Spin-able Fiber:

The key characteristics of spin-able fibre have pointed out in the following:
Color,
Fineness,
Staple length,
Maturity,
Strength,
Flexibility.

The Story of Cotton

Today, the world uses more cotton than any other fibre. Cotton comes from cultivated plants from the genus
Gossypium. They have been cultivated since ancient times for their fibres which are used as textiles. Cotton is a part
of our daily lives from the time we dry our faces on a soft cotton towel in the morning until we slide between fresh
cotton sheets at night. It has hundreds of uses, from blue jeans to shoe strings. Clothing and household items are the
largest uses, but industrial products account from many thousands of bales. Cotton has other, more surprising uses
too from medicines and mattresses to seed oil and even sausage skins. Click to download information leaflet Farm to
Fabric

What is the history of Cotton?

The oldest cotton fibres and boll fragments, dated from around 5000 B.C., were discovered in Mexico. Cotton has
been worn in Egypt and India for over 5,000 years. Native Americans grew cotton as early as 1500. It was in the late
1700s that Samuel Slater, an Englishman, built the first American cotton mill. These mills converted cotton fibres
into yarn and cloth. In 1793, Eli Whitney developed the cotton gin, which mechanically separates the seed from the
lint fibre. Whitney named his machine a gin, short for the word engine that could do the work 10 times faster
than by hand. Technology has improved over the past centuries making cotton growth and production much more
efficient.
Where is cotton grown in the world?
Cotton is grown in several countries including USA, China, India, Pakistan, Brazil, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Greece,
Australia and many other countries.
How does cotton grow?
Cotton grows best on fertile, well drained soils. There are many species of cotton, but the most popular ones are
Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) followed by Pima Cotton (Gossypium barbadense). In Southeast Asia, the
Asiatic Cotton (Gossypium herbaceum and Gossypium arboreum) is grown in some regions.

Cotton is planted in Spring when temperatures are above 16 degrees

Celsius. The cotton seeds germinate is 7-10 days. The bud, also known as a square, appears about 5-7 weeks after
planting which forms flowers. The white blossoms become pollinated, turn pink and then wither producing green
bolls. The green bolls mature into cotton bolls with the white fluffy fibres. Plants are irrigated, fertilised and weeded,
as needed, during the growing cycle.
Cotton is defoliated, a process in which the leaves are removed and then cotton harvested and compressed into
truckload sized modules and sent to the cotton gin. The gin separates the cotton fibres from the seeds. Saw gin is
mainly used to process Upland cotton and roller gin is used for Pima cotton. Gins separate the seed and the lint is
packed into 500 pound (227 kg) bales are sent out to textile mills to make yarn. A standard bale of cotton is 55 tall,
28 wide and 21 thick. The cotton is carded or combed, making all of the fibres run parallel, and then spun into
thread. The cottonseed at the gin is used as animal feed and garden fertilizer; while the oil extracted from
cottonseed is used in firearm and pharmaceutical industries.
What is cotton used for?
Like lumber, cotton comes in many varieties and qualities, each suitable for different purposes. The long lint fibres
are used for many things, most of which begin with a thread, yarn or cotton fabric. Clothing and bedding items are
common products. The smaller cotton fibres, known as linters, are removed from the seed and are used as stuffing
for furniture and components of linoleum, plastics and insulation. Cotton seed oil is used in foods and cosmetics.
Cotton seed hulls are eaten by cattle.
What can one bale of cotton make?
215 Jeans
249 Bed Sheets
690 Terry Bath Towels
765 Mens Dress Shirts
1,217 Mens T-Shirts
1,256 Pillowcases
3,085 Diapers
4,321 Mid-Calf Socks
21,960 Womens Handkerchiefs

How Cotton Is Used in Healthcare Applications

Posted on August 26, 2014

The use of natural fibers in healthcare applications dates all the way back to ancient times. In fact, one of the earliest
documented examples of natural fibers (wood) being used in a healthcare capacity was for wooden dentures. Cotton
history in healthcare is not far behind, as it has long been used in the healthcare arena due to its absorbency,
softness, purity, and hypoallergenic properties. Cotton can also be sterilized by all three major sterilization methods:
steam, ethylene oxide, and gamma radiation.
Today well briefly discuss the four major areas of healthcare products: non-implantable, implantable,
extracorporeal, and hygienic. Cotton has been or is being used in all four.

1. Non-Implantable Products
Non-implantable products are applied externally. This group includes dressings, bandages, and padding. This also
extends to protective clothing such as patient and medical personnel gowns, drapes, gloves, facemasks, dental rolls,
and pellets. Cotton can be used in all of these products as either 100% cotton, cotton blended with other fibers, or in
fabric composites.

2. Implantable Products
Implantable products are obviously used inside the body. Cotton is a key component in many brands of tampons,
and therefore falls into this category. This is once again a testament to the level of trust cotton provides, and further
proof of why its consumer-preferred not just for healthcare, but a variety of applications.

3. Extracorporeal Products
Extracorporeal healthcare products are used in procedures that take place outside of the body. One example of how
cotton is used in this capacity is as a debridement sponge. These sponges can be used to clean or debride an organ
outside the body cavity, which means only the purest and safest fiber should be used.

4. Hygiene Products
Hygiene products are widely used in many healthcare applications, such as baby and adult diapers, incontinence
products, feminine hygiene pads, and sanitizing and antiseptic wipes. Cotton can be utilized in all these products as
well. It may be as simple as a cotton ball with alcohol to clean your arm before an injection, or as complex as being a
component in a modern diaper structure.

The Most Trustworthy Fiber

A history of safety as a trusted fiber for absorbentand now nonabsorbentapplications, assures cotton will be a
fiber of choice for many centuries to come. In fact, the introduction of Barnhardts new HyDri cotton provides a
new alternative to healthcare applications; its a hydrophobic fiber that could potentially be used in non-stick
applications. To receive product innovation updates from Barnhardt, sign up on our Customer Service page.

New medical uses for cotton: Better treatments for wounds

Mar 12, 2008

Cotton and shrimp you're not likely to see it as a surf 'n' turf special on the menu at your favorite restaurant, but
the unlikely combination may hold promise for alleviating hard-to-treat wounds.

Agricultural Research Service Chemist Vince Edwards and his group in the USDA-ARS Cotton Chemistry and
Utilization Research Unit at the Southern Regional Research Center, New Orleans, are working on an array of
valuable medical products that can halt bleeding, soothe burns, fight microbes, and more all using cotton.

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Their work, reported by Erin Peabody in the February issue of Agricultural Researchmagazine, also is focusing on the
possible use of specially-treated cotton for high tech military clothing that could halt blood loss in a hemorrhaging
event, offering protection that could be as vital as body armor.

Cotton is ideal for medical dressings, Edwards notes, because it is soft, pliable, and provides a ready substrate for
locking in health-promoting compounds.
One such substance, chitosan, a unique carbohydrate in shrimp shells, is a true natural wonder, he says. In
addition to its anti-bacterial qualities, it is also a natural clot promoter.

Dressings modified with chitosan are already in military use, but Edwards has developed an improved method for
more uniformly embedding the compound in cotton fibers for use in a variety of cotton materials, including fabric
for medical gauze, clothing, and hospital sheets.

Testing hurdles remain, but he and his team hope their work will result in more effective products for both military
and civilian use.

One that's moving toward the marketplace is a bandage with a brain, a wound dressing that targets destructive
enzymes (proteases) that collect in chronic wounds.

In many chronic wounds, the body's natural defenses produce too many foot soldiers to break down dead and
dying tissue. Edwards' dressing, licensed to a Virginia company and approved by the Food and Drug Administration in
2006, was the first bandage of its kind with proven ability to sop up excess protease 40 percent to 80 percent
more effectively than untreated cotton wound dressings. It may also promote protein-building microphages,
necessary for proper skin healing. It is hoped the dressing will be adopted by the Veterans Administration for use in
its hospitals.

Edwards and his team are also working on improved bed sheets, woven from the smoothest of cotton fibers, for use
in treating and perhaps preventing pressure ulcers. The wrinkle-free, super smooth sheets can also be treated with
the shrimp shell chitosan to help fight microbes.

There's a lot of potential in this field, he says. Hospital sheets haven't changed much in the last 100 years.

Chronic wounds hard to heal bed sores or pressure ulcers are a painful, sometimes fatal, condition affecting
about 5 million Americans, mostly elderly patients restricted to hospital beds or diabetics with circulation problems.

It costs more than $7 billion annual to treat these wounds, and that's expected to increase substantially as the
nation's elderly population increases. All this represents a great opportunity for improving treatment products,
Edwards says, and more innovative uses of cotton and textiles.

the benefits of cotton

See why cotton is a natural choice.
A Better Night's Sleep

Research proves you get a better night's sleep on cotton sheets than sheets made from synthetic fibers because
cotton naturally allows your skin to breathe and doesnt trap heat under the covers.

Wear More, Wash Less

Since cotton is breathable and doesnt retain odors like oil-based fabrics, you can save your clothes a few trips to the
hamper between wears. Not doing laundry is awesome, of course. Plus youll save money, water and energy, and
help your clothes last even longer.

Wear Cotton Anytime, Anywhere

From work to play, athletic wear to evening wear, cotton is there. The fiber is so versatile that it can be woven or
knitted into a bunch of different fabrics like corduroy, chambray, lace and velour. So no matter what the occasion,
cotton has you covered.

Count On Cotton

Cotton is strong, tough and not afraid to get its fibers dirty. You can rely on it to last a long time and not fall apart on
the first wear. From durable work clothes to timeless LBDs, stock your closet with cotton because its in it for the
long haul.

Cotton Is Low Maintenance

Cotton is easier to wash and care for than other fabrics, so let your washing machine do your dirty work and enjoy
the money youll save on dry cleaning.

Stay in Shape

There is such a thing as too much stretch. The more spandex you add to a garment, the higher your chances of
sagging, bagging and stretching out. Keep your clothes from getting bent out of shape by looking for less than 5%
spandex on the label.

Breathe Easy

Dont get caught in a sweat trap! Cotton breathes better than oil-based synthetic fabrics like polyester,* so its the
perfect thing to wear when youre working out. Not to mention that moisture-wicking cotton is specially designed to
keep you drier and cooler during exercise.

*Marjory Joseph. Introductory Textile Science, 5th Edition, 1984, pp. 358-359.

Look Good, Feel Even Better

Cotton is soft, absorbent and breathable. So, if your clothes are itchy, irritating, stiff or clingy, look on your label
because your clothing may not be cotton-rich. Learn about what determines comfort in a fiber.

Cotton Doesnt Stink

When youre cooking dinner, working out or sitting around the campfire, your clothes are bound to soak in different
odors. With cotton, you dont have to worry. It releases stinky substances more easily than other fabrics once its in
the washing machine. Learn about what causes clothing to smell.

You Wont Catch Cotton Clinging

Cotton is a lot of things, but its definitely NOT clingy! Static cling can be blamed for many an embarrassing fabric fail,
but cotton is never the culprit because it cant hold an electric charge. So if you want cling-free clothes, stick with
cotton. Learn about what causes static cling.

Pilling is not a problem

If people think pilling is wrong, then choosing cotton has to be right! Pills are pesky balls of tangled fibers that pop
up on your clothes when the fabric rubs against itself or another material. Once nylon, polyester and blends pill, its
permanent, while cotton sheds any pills in the wash. So if you want your clothes to stay smooth, check the label
before you buy. Learn about what causes clothing to pill.

The Pros And Cons Of Cotton Clothing

SANJANA GUPTA

JANUARY 12, 2015

The human race has been wearing cotton clothing since 5,000 BC and it happens to be the most widely used
natural fibre in the world today. Wearing cotton clothing has many advantages and a few disadvantages, so
read on to find out what they are.
Advantages of cotton fabric:
Breathable: Unlike most synthetic fabrics, cotton absorbs the sweat from your body and allows it to
evaporate into the air. It works like a towel, wicking the moisture away from your skin and discouraging the
growth of bacteria and yeast. This property makes it the best fabric for exercise clothes, underwear and
sleepwear.
Soft: Cotton is a soft and stretchy fabric that is comfortable to wear.
Insulating: Cotton does not conduct temperature well, making it an insulator. It keeps you cool in summer
and warm in winter, allowing you to be comfortable year round. It resists static cling as well.
 Natural: While synthetic fabrics are manufactured with chemicals, cotton is a natural fabric that does not
irritate the skin.
Non-allergenic: Cotton fabrics do not cause skin allergies, which is why they are recommended for babies
and people with sensitive skin. This is also one of the reasons why bandages and gauze are made with cotton.
Strong: Cotton fibres are spun into a tight yarn that is both strong and durable. In fact, it is 30 percent
stronger when it is wet, so it can withstand quite a few washes. It happens to be stain -repellent too.
Versatile: There are many varieties of cloth that are all made with cotton fibre. These include denim,
corduroy, seersucker, chino, broadcloth, calico, and gingham. Cotton also takes well to dye, so it is available in
a range of vivid colours.
Disadvantages of cotton fabric:
Shrinkage: When you buy cotton clothing, you may have to pick a slightly larger size than your actual size
since it tends to shrink. If you are making an outfit out of cotton fabric, make sure you wash it once before you
stitch it, so that it has shrunk already.
Wrinkles: Cotton fabric is prone to wrinkling, so you'll have to iron your clothes every time you wa nt to wear
them.
Damage: Cotton is more prone to damage since it's a natural fibre. It can get damaged by damp and mildew
and tends to fade in the sunlight.
Washing: The colours from cotton clothing can run, bleeding onto your other clothes and discol ouring them.
It is also dries slowly and is more prone to lint, since the fibres tend to be pretty short.