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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Cotton Ginning Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #188321
Title: NEW USDA LINT CLEANERS DRAMATICALLY REDUCE FIBER LOSS, IMPROVE QUALITY

Author
item Anthony, William

Submitted to: Southeast Farm Press
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2005
Publication Date: 3/3/2006
Citation: Anthony, W.S. 2006. New usda lint cleaners dramatically reduce fiber loss, improve quality. Southeast Farm Press. 54th Farm & Gin Show, pp. 52-53.

Interpretive Summary: Not required for review article.

Technical Abstract: After removal from the cottonseed, fiber is usually cleaned by one or more saw-type lint cleaners that comb, blend and clean the fiber. Unfortunately, they also remove about 20 pounds of material and also damage the fiber. As a result of the negative effects of standard saw-type lint cleaners as well as the changes from domestic to foreign markets for most of the cotton produced in the United States, several new lint cleaners (LouverMax, Dual-Saw, and Combined Lint Cleaner) were developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The LouverMax reduces the amount of good fiber lost by the lint cleaner and increases bale weight 8 to 10 pounds. It has movable partitions or louvers between each pair of grid bars to allow the cleaning point of the grid bar to be engaged or disengaged “on the fly” based on the needs of the cotton. The dual-saw cleaner consists of a standard saw-type lint cleaner modified to include a secondary saw to prevent loss of the longer fiber that is ejected by the primary cleaning saw and grid bar arrangement. The dual-saw cleaner retains about 6 pounds of additional good fiber as compared to a standard lint cleaner with no significant difference in HVI or AFIS-measured properties. The Combined Lint Cleaner consists of a modified cylinder cleaner normally used for seed cotton combined with one or more lint cleaner saws as well as a secondary saw to prevent fiber loss. The new combined cleaner was evaluated in five studies to include operation at a commercial gin for two years. The fiber wasted averaged 8, 15, and 20 pounds per bale, respectively, for the combined cleaner, one lint cleaner, and two lint cleaners. The new lint cleaners reduce fiber loss dramatically and maintain or improve fiber quality.