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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Cotton Ginning Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #319613

Research Project: Enhancing the Quality, Utility, Sustainability and Environmental Impact of Western and Long-Staple Cotton through Improvements in Harvesting, Processing, and Utilization

Location: Cotton Ginning Research

Title: Detection of plastic and oily contamination in seed cotton at the gin using infra-red

Author
item Baker, Kevin
item RAYSON, GARY - New Mexico State University
item JIANG, WEN-BIN - New Mexico State University
item Whitelock, Derek
item Hughs, Sidney

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/5/2015
Publication Date: 5/11/2015
Citation: Baker, K.D., Rayson, G., Jiang, W., Whitelock, D.P., Hughs, S.E. 2015. Detection of plastic and oily contamination in seed cotton at the gin using infra-red. National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference. 981-989.

Interpretive Summary: Plastic and oily foreign materials in bales of cotton lint pose problems to spinning and textile mills in the form of decreased productivity and products with inferior quality. Detecting and removing this plastic and oily foreign material at the gin is a long term goal of the cotton industry. A study was undertaken to determine if use of infra-red radiation technology could lead to detection of plastic and oily foreign materials in seed cotton and cotton lint. Results in the laboratory with very small samples were promising. Further testing was undertaken to continue the process of verifying if this technology could be used in a cotton gin.

Technical Abstract: Plastic and oily foreign material in bales of cotton lint poses problems to spinning and textile mills in the form of decreased productivity and products with inferior quality. Detecting and removing this plastic and oily foreign material at the gin is a long term goal of the cotton industry. In this study, an infra-red (IR) spectrometer was used to determine the transmission of infra-red radiation in the 2.5 to 25 micron wavelength range through seed cotton and fourteen commonly occurring plastic and oily contaminants. Significant differences were noted. Results were simulated using an IR light source and commercially-available filters that allow infra-red light to pass in the ranges of 3.03, 3.44, 4.35, and 6.68 microns. Simulated results were promising and further verification testing is underway. A method of applying this knowledge in a cotton gin was conceptualized.