e ABSORBENT COTTON Synonyms ; Cotton wool, Purified cotton, Surgical cotton Absorbent cotton wool. It consist of epidermal trichomes from seed coats of cultivated species of Gossypium hervaceum, G hirsutum, G.barbadense etc. of the family Malvaceae. It is cleaned, purified, bleached and does not contain any colouring matter. AR CHAUDHARYPreparation of absorbent cotton The fruit capsule of the plant consist of numerous seeds. The seeds contain trichomes-hairs, which are pulpy and entangled. On exposure to sun earl naa hairs dry, get separated and form white fluffy mass called as bolls. The bolls are collected when ripe and. subjected to ginning process. Most cotton seeds retain a eéyering of short hairs called linters which are removed by delinter machines. The linters are used as a source of cellulose, the seeds for getting cotton seed oil and the cake ag cattle food. The hairs separated from seeds constitute raw cotton. The raw cotton is subjected to combing process fe separate short fibres which are used for preparing absorbent cotton and long fibres which are used in preparing the cloths. AR CHAUDHARYe The row cotton contains impurities, mainly colouring matter and wax and oil. e The covering of wax and oil makes the hair nonabsorbent. For preparing the absorbent cotton, impurities are removed by boiling the material in dilute solutions of sodium hydroxide for 10-15 hrs. under reduced pressure. e The material is treated with is treated with bleaching powder and then with dilute hydrochlorie, acid. e It is again washed with water, dried and carded into continuous sheets. e This absorbent cotton is then packed into rolls and sterilized. 138 AR CHAUDHARY