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Automatic, electronic controls--adapted by ARS engineers--that can
regulate the speed a cotton roller gin will safely remove cotton fiber
from the seed. As much as $75 per hour can be saved by increasing
overall ginning efficiency by 12 percent. Delicate, extra-long staple
cotton will cause clogging if it's fed too fast into the roller gin. That
can cause up to $1200 in damage, as well as downtime, to change the
roller. If fed too slow, however, the gin is inefficient, thus raising
processing costs. ARS engineers used microprocessors to control the
system, which senses how much electric power a gin stand is drawing. A
heavy draw means it's working too hard and may clog. So, the
microprocessor steps in to slow the feeding mechanism. ARS engineers used
available electronic components to keep assembly costs low and reliability
high.
Southwestern Cotton Ginning Research Laboratory, Mesilla Park, NM
Marvis N. Gillum/Sidney E. Hughs, (505) 526-6381
An enzyme from soybean hulls is now replacing formaldehyde in
industrial products such as adhesives, abrasives and protective
coatings. ARS scientists were first to purify the enzyme and research
its properties in the early 1980s, which eventually led to five industry
patents. Because the enzyme facilitates the action of oxygen and
peroxides on many compounds, it is being marketed for uses ranging from
medical diagnostic tests to removal of chlorine-containing pollutants from
high-temperature industrial wastewater. Another plus: The purified
soybean enzyme, a peroxidase, is more easily isolated than peroxidases
from horseradish, now a major source.
Biopolymer Research, Peoria,
IL
David J. Sessa, (309) 681-6351
Last updated: October 30, 1996
Return to: Quarterly Report
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Last Modified: 02/11/2002
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