Effect of Durable‐Press Resin Treatment on Tenacity and Elongation of Fiber from Upland Cotton Strains1

Abstract

Untreated and mercerized fiber samples from 14 cultivars and breeding strains of Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) were evaluated for changes in tenacity when given durable‐press (DP) treatment. The average loss of tenacity after DP treatment of untreated cotton was about 59%, with little variation among cultivars and strains. Mercerization increased fiber tenacity by 50%. The tenacities of premercerized‐resinated samples were 25% lower than mercerized but 12% higher than that of untreated fibers. Strength uniformity, the ratio of the tenacity at 3.2‐mm gauge length (T1) to the tenacity at 0‐gauge (T0), was negatively correlated with the ratio of T1 for premercerized DP‐treated samples to T1 for untreated samples.Results of the study support the use of T1 as a breeding criterion of high fiber quality. Strength uniformity may also be valuable for the selection of breeding strains because it is a measure of the stress points along the length of the cotton fiber.