Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Introduction
2. History
3. Types
4. Cultivation
5. Organic Farming of Cotton
6. Harvesting
7. Processing of Cotton
8. Fiber Properties
9. Leading Producers of Cotton
10. Uses of Cotton
11. End
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in
a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds
of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The
fiber is almost pure cellulose. Under natural
conditions, the cotton bolls will tend to increase
the dispersion 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. Cotton was independently
domesticated in the Old and New
Worlds.
Cotton was used in the Old World at least
7,000 years ago (5th millennium BC). Evidence
of cotton use has been found at the site
of Mehrgarh, where early cotton threads have
been preserved in copper beads. Cotton
cultivation became more widespread during
the Indus Valley Civilization, which covered
parts of modern eastern Pakistan and
northwestern India. 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. Between 2000 and 1000 BC cotton Cotton fabrics discovered in a cave
became widespread across much of India. For near Tehuacán, Mexico have been
example, it has been found at the site dated to around 5800 BC, although it is
of Hallus in Karnataka dating from around difficult to know for certain due to fiber
1000 BC. decay. Other sources date the
domestication of cotton in Mexico to
approximately 5000 to 3000 BC.
Egyptian Cotton
Sea Island Cotton
Pima Cotton
Asiatic Cotton
American Upland Cotton
Canton Cotton
French Terry Cotton
Organic Cotton
Bamboo Cotton
and many more
Successful cultivation of cotton requires a long frost-free period, plenty of
sunshine, and a moderate rainfall, usually from 600 to 1200 mm (24 to
48 inches). 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. Cotton grows in any part of the world
where the growing season is long and the climate temperate to hot with adequate
rainfall or irrigation Cotton grows best in best climate
Organic cotton is generally understood as cotton,
from plants not genetically modified, that is certified
to be grown without the use of any synthetic
agricultural chemicals, such as fertilizers
or pesticides. Its production also promotes and
enhances biodiversity and biological cycles. United
States 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. 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
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.
Processing of cotton Involves:
Spinning
Preparatory Processes Most spinning today is done
Spinning using Break or Open-end
Weaving spinning, this is a technique
Finishing where the staples are blown
by air into a rotating drum,
where they attach
themselves to the tail of
Preparatory formed yarn that is
process continually being drawn out
Preparatory of the chamber. Other
process involves methods of break spinning
ginning, Blending, use needles and electrostatic
Carding, Combing, forces. This method has
Drawing replace the older methods of
ring and mule spinning. It is
also is easily adapted
for artificial fibers.
Weaving
The weaving process uses a loom. The
lengthways threads are known as the warp,
and the cross way threads are known as
the weft. The warp which must be strong
needs to be presented to loom on a warp
beam. The weft passes across the loom in
a shuttle, that carries the yarn on a prim.
These perms are automatically changed by the
loom. Thus, the yarn needs to be wrapped
onto a beam, and onto perms before weaving
can commence.
Finishing
The woven cotton fabric in its loom-state, not
only contains impurities, including warp size,
but requires further treatment in order to
develop its full textile potential. Furthermore,
it may receive considerable added value by
applying one or more finishing processes.
Property Evaluation
Fairly uniform in width, 12–20 micrometers; length varies from 1 cm
Shape to 6 cm (½ to 2½ inches); typical length is 2.2 cm to 3.3 cm (⅞ to 1¼
inches).
Luster high
Tenacity (strength)
Dry 3.0–5.0 g/d
Wet 3.3–6.0 g/d
Resiliency low
Density 1.54–1.56 g/cm³
Moisture absorption
raw: conditioned 8.5%
saturation 15–25%
mercerized: conditioned 8.5–10.3%
saturation 15–27%+
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
Decomposes after prolonged exposure to temperatures of 150˚C or
to heat
over.
to flame
The first industries set up in India us cotton industries. The first modern cotton industries
was set by Cawassji Dawar in Mumbai in 1854 AD.