Preliminary Study of Linear Density, Tenacity, and Crystallinity of Cotton Fibers

Yongliang Liu,Devron Thibodeaux,James Rodgers

doi:10.3390/fib2030211

Yongliang Liu, Devron Thibodeaux + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/fib2030211

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Abstract

An investigation of the relationships among fiber linear density, tenacity, and structure is important to help cotton breeders modify varieties for enhanced fiber end-use qualities. This study employed the Stelometer instrument, which is the traditional fiber tenacity reference method and might still be an option as a rapid screening tool because of its low cost and portable attributes. In addition to flat bundle break force and weight variables from a routine Stelometer test, the number of fibers in the bundle were counted manually and the fiber crystallinity (CIIR) was characterized by the previously proposed attenuated total reflection-sampling device based Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) protocol. Based on the plots of either tenacity vs. linear density or fiber count vs. mass, the fibers were subjectively divided into fine or coarse sets, respectively. Relative to the distinctive increase in fiber tenacity with linear density, there was an unclear trend between the linear density and CIIR for these fibers. Samples with similar linear density were found to increase in tenacity with fiber CIIR. In general, Advanced Fiber Information System (AFIS) fineness increases with fiber linear density.

Highlights

Cotton fiber is a type of natural cellulose I (β 1→4 linked glucose residues), with the quantity of cellulose varying greatly with the stages of fiber development or growth [1]
As an example, attenuated total reflection (ATR) sampling device based Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy has evolved as an important and successful analytical tool to investigate the plant fiber growth-induced changes in compositions and structures. One such typical application was to compare the transition phase between cotton varieties by either plotting the integrated intensities of characteristic IR bands or performing the principal component analysis (PCA) [9,10], as IR spectral intensity changes resulted from the transition between primary and secondary cell wall synthesis in fiber cellulose
Linking fiber tenacity with the physical and chemical structure is of great interest, as this knowledge could be of value to cotton breeders for cotton variety enhancement and to fiber processors for yarn quality improvement

Summary

Introduction

Cotton fiber is a type of natural cellulose I (β 1→4 linked glucose residues), with the quantity of cellulose varying greatly with the stages of fiber development or growth [1]. As an example, attenuated total reflection (ATR) sampling device based Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy has evolved as an important and successful analytical tool to investigate the plant fiber growth-induced changes in compositions and structures. One such typical application was to compare the transition phase between cotton varieties by either plotting the integrated intensities of characteristic IR bands or performing the principal component analysis (PCA) [9,10], as IR spectral intensity changes resulted from the transition between primary and secondary cell wall synthesis in fiber cellulose. Abbot et al [12] observed that cottons with similar micronaire values can have different yarn strengths, and that linear density is a much better predictor of yarn strength than micronaire

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