Lint cleaning performance of a pneumatic fractionator: Impacts on fiber quality and economic value of saw- and roller-ginned Upland cotton

Authors: Tumuluru, Jaya Shankar; Armijo, Carlos; Whitelock, Derek; Delhom, Christopher; KOTHARI, NEHA - Cotton, Inc

Submitted to: Processes
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/8/2026
Publication Date: 1/14/2026
Citation: Tumuluru, J., Armijo, C.B., Whitelock, D.P., Delhom, C.D., Funk, P.A., Kothari, N. 2023. Lint cleaning performance of a pneumatic fractionator: Impacts on fiber quality and economic value of saw- and roller-ginned Upland cotton. Processes. 14(2).Article 290. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14020290.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14020290

Interpretive Summary: Lint cleaning is a crucial process that greatly influences the quality of cotton. Previous research has indicated that traditional lint cleaning systems, such as saw-type and pin-type cleaners, can adversely affect lint quality. Specifically, saw-type cleaners tend to reduce fiber length and the uniformity index. On the other hand, pin-type cleaners are not very effective at removing trash content or improving the color grade of the lint. As a result, there is a strong focus on developing sawless lint cleaning systems that efficiently eliminate foreign matter while preserving fiber length and uniformity. This study employed a pneumatic fractionator to conduct lint cleaning tests on saw-ginned and roller-ginned Upland cotton. The findings revealed an increase of 1-2 in staple length, a 0.5-1% improvement in the uniformity index, and a 1-2 grams/tex increase in strength following pneumatic fractionation. Additionally, the color grade improved from 31-11 for roller-ginned lint and from 21-11 for saw-ginned lint. The trash count was approximately 50% lower for roller-ginned lint cleaned with a pin-type cleaner compared to pneumatic fractionated lint. Furthermore, the estimated loan value for pneumatic fractionated lint is around 5 cents per kilogram higher than that of lint cleaned using saw or pin-type methods.

Technical Abstract: Current saw- and pin-type lint-cleaning systems used by the ginning industry have challenges retaining lint quality. The objective of the research was to test a novel pneumatic fractionator for the lint cleaning of an Upland cotton variety that was both saw- and roller ginned. The process variables tested were initial lint moisture content in the range of 5.5–15% w.b., line pressure in the range of 276–552 kPa, and residence time in the range of 15–45 s. Experiments were conducted based on a central composite design. Models based on response surface methodology (RSM) were developed for final lint moisture, total trash extracted during lint cleaning, and High-Volume Instrument (HVI) fiber quality. The RSM models adequately described the pneumatic fractionation process, as indicated by the coefficient of determination, predicted vs. observed plots, and residual values. The results indicated that the interactions among initial lint moisture content, residence time, and line pressure significantly affected lint quality. At the optimized pneumatic fractionator process conditions, the predicted lint quality attributes were better for both roller- and saw-ginned lint compared to lint cleaned with saw- and pin-type lint cleaners. The upper half mean length increased by 1 mm, the uniformity index was higher by 0.5–1 percentage points, the strength was 1–2 g/tex higher, and the short fiber content was reduced by more than one percentage point. Color grades were better for pneumatic fractionated lint compared to saw- and pin-type lint cleaning methods. Lint value was approximately 4 cents/kg higher for both saw- and roller-ginned pneumatic fractionated lint, compared to lint cleaned using saw- and pin-type lint cleaners. The novel pneumatic fractionator, when compared to industry-standard saw- and pin-type lint cleaners, effectively cleaned lint while retaining fiber quality and removing most of the motes and trash.