Development and validation of an FT-IR method for quantitative assessment of immature fiber content in cotton samples

Authors: Kim, Hee; Liu, Yongliang; Delhom, Christopher; XU, BUGAO - University Of North Texas

Submitted to: Textile Research Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/30/2025
Publication Date: 12/27/2025
Citation: Kim, H.J., Liu, Y., Delhom, C.D., Xu, B. 2025. Development and validation of an FT-IR method for quantitative assessment of immature fiber content in cotton samples. Textile Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/00405175251387922.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00405175251387922

Interpretive Summary: Cotton fiber maturity representing the degree of fiber wall thickness is an important property influencing lint yield and quality of raw fibers, yarns, and fabrics. Due to the substantial variation of cotton fiber maturity within a cotton sample, both mean and distributional maturity parameters are generally measured by conventional fiber phenotyping methods requiring the relatively slow processes and extra cost of analyzing the physical properties of individual fibers. Alternatively, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy with a simple algorithm is available to measure mean fiber maturity from a fiber bundle in rapid and non-invasive ways based on its ability to distinguish the cellulose levels between mature and immature fibers. However, the FT-IR method has been limitedly used partially due to the unavailability of an algorithm for determining a maturity distributional parameter from FT-IR spectra of cotton samples. Thus, we developed an FT-IR algorithm to detect chemical characteristics quantitatively from cotton fibers with various immature fiber contents. The newly developed FT-IR method coupled with the algorithm enabled measuring a maturity distributional parameter accurately and efficiently. Thus, the FT-IR method may improve the way of evaluating mean and distributional parameters rapidly and detecting maturity variations within and among experimental materials accurately.

Technical Abstract: Cotton fiber maturity representing the degree of fiber wall thickness is a major property determining fiber quality, yield and textile performance. Due to the complexity of within-sample variation in upland cotton fiber maturity, both mean and distributional maturity parameters are generally measured by conventional fiber phenotyping methods requiring the relatively slow processes and extra cost of analyzing the physical properties of individual fibers. As an alternative approach, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy with a simple algorithm was previously proposed to determine mean fiber maturity from a fiber bundle based on its ability to distinguish the cellulose levels between mature and immature fibers. Despite the advantages of the ATR FT-IR algorithm determining mean maturity values in rapid and non-invasive ways, it has been limitedly used partially due to the unavailability of an algorithm for determining a maturity distributional parameter from FT-IR spectra of cotton samples. Thus, we developed an FT-IR algorithm to detect chemical characteristics quantitatively from cotton fibers with various immature fiber contents (IFCs) and formulated a metric, denoted as IIR. The efficacy of the algorithm was demonstrated by significant correlations of IIR value with the corresponding IFC values measured conventionally from both experimental and reference cotton materials. These results suggested that the quantitative FT-IR method coupled with the algorithm can be used for assessing the maturity distributional parameter from a fiber bundle accurately, and may improve the way of evaluating the IFCs within and among experimental materials.