Seed Cotton Moisture Conditioning Using an Atomizing Nozzle in the Conveyer-Distributor

Abstract

Seed cotton is often drier than optimum for ginning when it arrives at the gin plant and ginning the lint too dry results in lower fiber quality. In this study a total of 78 bales of cotton were ginned with various moisture treatments, including water sprayed on seed cotton before the gin stand. The lint moisture content (mc) of samples obtained before the lint cleaner ranged from 3.7% to 6.9% (wet basis) across all treatments. Decreased drying resulted in increased trash levels in the lint. Otherwise, the lint properties were affected by the fiber mc measured before the lint cleaner regardless of the method of achieving that mc. Ginning with lint at higher mc improved the HVI length and strength as well as all of the AFIS fiber length measurements. The AFIS short fiber content (by weight) of samples taken after lint cleaning was improved by about 6% (or half a short fiber percentage point) for each percentage point increase in lint mc of samples taken before the lint cleaner.