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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Cotton Ginning Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #421886
Research Project: Improving the Production and Processing of Western and Long-Staple Cotton and Companion Crops to Enhance Quality, Value, and Sustainability

Location: Cotton Ginning Research

Title: Pneumatic fractionator impact on the saw ginned Upland cotton lint quality based on Advanced Fiber Information System (AFIS) in comparison to conventional saw type lint cleaner

Author
item Tumuluru, Jaya Shankar
item Whitelock, Derek
item Armijo, Carlos
item Delhom, Christopher
item KOTHARI, NEHA - Cotton, Inc

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/15/2025
Publication Date: 1/15/2025
Citation: Tumuluru, J., Whitelock, D.P., Armijo, C.B., Delhom, C.D., Kothari, N. 2025. Pneumatic fractionator impact on the saw ginned Upland cotton lint quality based on Advanced Fiber Information System (AFIS) in comparison to conventional saw type lint cleaner. National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference, New Orleans, LA, January 14-16, 2025. Presentation only.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The study compared the performance of two different lint cleaners, a pneumatic fractionator and a conventional saw lint cleaner, in removing foreign matter and improving the lint quality of saw-ginned Upland cotton. The pneumatic fractionator was tested under varying conditions such as lint moisture content (5-15% w.b.), residence time (15-45 sec), and line pressure (40-80 psig). On the other hand, the industry-standard saw-type lint cleaner was operated at 1000 rpm with a combing ratio of 24 according to the manufacturer's specifications. Lint samples cleaned using both methods were analyzed using the Advanced Fiber Information System (AFIS). The results showed that lint moisture content strongly influenced the upper quartile length, length of the lint, short fiber content, nep size, count, and fineness of the lint. The interaction of residence time and line pressure with lint moisture content also played a significant role in visible foreign matter content. The pneumatic fractionator demonstrated lower trash count per gram at higher lint moisture content compared to the conventional saw-type lint cleaner. This AFIS data was used to assess the effectiveness of the pneumatic lint cleaner in producing higher quality lint compared to the conventional saw-type lint cleaner.