IMPLICATIONS OF PECTIN ON COTTON FIBER PROCESSING

Authors: Gamble, Gary

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/6/2003
Publication Date: 1/10/2003
Citation: Proceedings 2003 Beltwide Cotton Conferences, National Cotton Council, Memphis, TN, 1953-1956

Interpretive Summary: COTTON YARN PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT HAS INCREASED IN SPEED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, WITH THE RESULT THAT TRADITIONAL FIBER PHYSICAL MEASUREMENTS ARE LESS RELIABLE THAN THEY ONCE WERE AT PREDICTING YARN SPINNING EFFICIENCY. IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, THIS WORK ATTEMPTS TO DEVELOP A METHOD BY WHICH PECTIN, A CHEMICAL CONSTITUENT ON THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE COTTON FIBER, CAN BE MEASURED AND USED TO ASCERTAIN FIBER FRICTIONAL PROPERTIES. RESULTS INDICATE THAT AS THE PECTIN COMPONENT INCREASES, FRICTIONAL FORCES BETWEEN FIBERS DECREASE, IMPLYING THAT THE PECTIN PROVIDES A LUBRICATING EFFECT. THIS IS IMPORTANT NOT ONLY IN THAT IT WILL PROVIDE NEW INFORMATION IN THE PREDICTION OF YARN SPINNING EFFICIENCY, BUT WILL ALSO ALLOW COTTON BREEDERS TO DEVELOP COTTON VARIETIES EXHIBITING DESIRABLE LEVELS OF PECTIN FROM A PROCESSING STANDPOINT.

Technical Abstract: INCREASING SPEEDS OF COTTON YARN PRODUCTION IN THE TEXTILE MILL HAVE RENDERED TRADITIONAL PHYSICAL FIBER MEASUREMENTS SUCH AS LENGTH AND STRENGTH LESS RELIABLE AS PREDICTORS OF YARN SPINNING EFFICIENCY. WITH THE GOAL TOWARD ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM, THIS WORK ATTEMPTS TO CHARACTERIZE THE PECTIN COMPONENT OF THE COTTON FIBER IN ORDER TO DEVELOP A CHEMISTRY-BASED METHODOLOGY BY WHICH CURRENTLY UNKNOWN FACTORS INVOLVED IN YARN SPINNING EFFICIENCY MAY BE ELUCIDATED. A MATHEMATICAL RELATIONSHIP OF PECTIN CONTENT WITH FIBER MICRONAIRE MEASUREMENTS IS FIRST ESTABLISHED AND SUBSEQUENTLY USED IN COMPARISON OF THE NORMALIZED PECTIN CONTENT WITH FIBER FRICTION MEASUREMENTS. RESULTS INDICATE THAT FIBER FRICTION DECREASES AS THE PECTIN LAYER THICKNESS ON THE COTTON FIBER OUTER SURFACE INCREASES. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT OBSERVTATION NOT ONLY FROM THE STANDPOINT OF BEING ABLE TO SET FIBER PROCESSING EQUIPMENT PARAMETERS BASED ON CHEMICAL MEASUREMENTS, BUT IT ALSO RAISES THE QUESTION OF WHETHER COTTON CAN BE BRED IN ORDER TO PRODUCE DESIRABLE SPINNING CHARACTERISTICS BASED ON THE LEVEL OF PECTIN PRODUCTION DURING THE FIBER GROWTH PERIOD.