Bundle Strength Research Articles

Controllable construction of “degressive gradient” transition layer on carbon fibers surface to enhance interfacial properties of carbon fiber/epoxy composites by layer upon layer assembly of carbon nano tubes

AbstractCarbon fiber (CF) reinforced epoxy (EP) matrix composite was widely used in industries, however, the mismatch of modulus between CFs and resin would lead to easy damage at the composite interface. In addition, complex modification methods limited the application of CF composite. To address these problems, a simple and efficient physical coating method was used to introduce a degressive gradient modulus layer on the CF surface. The “stepped modulus” structure could effectively disperse stress, improve the mechanical interlocking and wettability, and realize the modulus matching between fiber and resin, thus significantly improving the interface properties of the composites. The interfacial properties of Cn‐CNT‐CF/EP (n was the number of coatings) were gradually improved with the controllable gradient modulus layer established. The interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and transverse fiber bundle (TFB) strength of C4‐CNTs‐CF/EP were increased by 65.7% and 85.6%, respectively. Due to the presence of a “degressive gradient” modulus layer, the improved mechanical properties of the Cn‐CNT‐CF/EP were comparable to or even more significant than other complicated approaches found in the literature. This simple and effective composite interface construction technique laid the theoretical and practical foundation for the preparation of high‐performance CF composite.

Gradient changes in fiber bundle content and mechanical properties lead to asymmetric bending of bamboo

Natural biomaterial bamboo has excellent strength and toughness. The content of fiber bundles and the gradually increasing tensile strength of fiber bundles from the inside to the outside in the radial direction of the bamboo wall are the two main factors leading to significant differences in the fracture behavior and mechanical properties of bamboo under loading from different sides of bamboo strip. In this study, the flexural strength, toughness, and bending fracture energy of the bamboo loaded from the inside of the sample (Mode B) were found as 28%, 191%, and 174%, respectively, higher than those of the bamboo loaded from the outside of the sample (Mode A). The mechanical properties of samples loaded radially (Mode C) were higher than Mode A and lower than Mode B. The fracture process of the sample and the corresponding fracture morphology showed parenchyma fracture (matrix failure), fiber fracture, and interfacial debonding (fiber–fiber, fiber-parenchyma, parenchyma-parenchyma) occurring in all samples. Tearing of the cell wall, fiber debonding, fiber bridging, fiber pull-out, and crack deflection are the major fracture-toughening mechanisms of bamboo. This study reveals the relationship between the gradient changes in the mechanical properties and content of bamboo fiber bundles and the bending and fracturing behavior of bamboo, which provides theoretical basis and ideas for the development of new bamboo engineering materials, the bionic design of bamboo structures, and the structural optimization of fiber-reinforced composite materials.

Experimental investigation of alkaline treatment processes (NaOH, KOH and ash) on tensile strength of the bamboo fiber bundle

The aim of this experimental research is to investigate the effect of different alkali solutions, their different concentration, and the soaking time on tensile strength of bamboo fiber bundles. The results of this research will suggest the method to extract bamboo fiber in order to develop biodegradable composite materials in the future. Bamboo strips were mechanically separated from Rough Giant Bamboos, and they were soaked in three different alkali solutions based on NaOH, KOH, and ash with three individual concentrations (5%, 10%, 20% w/w) for eleven different soaking times. The bamboo strips were then washed and naturally air-dried before separating bamboo fibers bundles (cross-section area between 0.06 and 0.27 mm2) by hand pull off. The tensile strengths of bamboo fiber bundles were determined according to ASTM D3039 standard whereas paper grips technique was applied to prevent damage from the machine clamps. The results suggest that the optimal time for soaking bamboo strips is 48 h for all solution and concentration. Moreover, soaking bamboo strips in KOH, and NaOH with more than 5% (10%, 20%) concentration, bamboo fiber bundles were destroyed. On the other hand, soaking bamboo strips in all concentrations of ash solution, and 5% concentration of KOH, and NaOH provides the same tensile strength value as the one with the soaking bamboo strips in distilled water. Additionally, the alkali solutions have proven to be able to protect bamboo fibers from fungus growth in contrast to distilled water.

Coordination of Density and Nitrogen Fertilization Improves Stalk Lodging Resistance of Strip-Intercropped Maize with Soybeans by Affecting Stalk Quality Traits

To ensure yield in strip-intercropped maize with soybeans (SM), it is crucial to plant at a density comparable to that of monoculture maize (MM). This requires reducing spacing by more than half, increasing intraspecific competition, and altering stalk lodging resistance traits compared with MM. Nitrogen fertilization can effectively mediate stalk lodging resistance. However, it is still unclear how nitrogen rates influence SM’s stalk lodging resistance under high-density conditions and how that resistance compares to MM. The experiment involved four N fertilizer treatments with two planting densities: medium density (60,000 plants/ha) and high density (75,000 plants/ha). Additionally, different planting patterns of strip-cropped (S) and monoculture (M) were implemented. The N fertilizer application rates were N0 (0 kg/ha), N225 (225 kg/ha), N300 (300 kg/ha), and N375 (375 kg/ha). The stalk lodging resistance was represented by the breaking strength of the third basal internode. The study revealed that, at the same planting density, the third basal internode of the stalk exhibited consistent results in terms of its diameter, crushing strength, total number and area of vascular bundles, and N content. Notably, all these traits exhibited a significant positive relationship with breaking strength. The highest values for these parameters and yield were observed under N225 and N300 fertilization rates for medium-density monoculture and strip-cropped maize, respectively. In contrast, the high-density monoculture and strip-cropped maize showed peak performance under N300 and N375 fertilization rates. At both medium and high planting densities, the strip-cropped maize exhibited 8.9% and 10.9% lower breaking strength than the monoculture maize under N225 treatment. However, increasing the N fertilizer application resulted in comparable lodging resistance between the strip-cropped maize and the maximum values of the monoculture maize, at N300 treatment for medium density and N375 treatment for high density. Hence, strip-cropped maize planted at high density (75,000 plants/ha) with a lower nitrogen rate had lower lodging resistance than monoculture maize, but it can be improved to match the monoculture maize by increasing the nitrogen rate.

Structure and Physical Properties of Conductive Bamboo Fiber Bundle Fabricated by Magnetron Sputtering.

The variety of conductive fibers has been constantly enriched in recent years, and it has made rapid development in the fields of electronic textiles, intelligent wearable, and medical care. However, the environmental damage caused by the use of large quantities of synthetic fibers cannot be ignored, and there is little research on conductive fibers in the field of bamboo, a green and sustainable material. In this work, we used the alkaline sodium sulfite method to remove lignin from bamboo, prepared a conductive bamboo fiber bundle by coating a copper film on single bamboo fiber bundles using DC magnetron sputtering, and analyzed its structure and physical properties under different process parameters, finding the most suitable preparation condition that combines cost and performance. The results of the scanning electron microscope show that the coverage of copper film can be improved by increasing the sputtering power and prolonging the sputtering time. The resistivity of the conductive bamboo fiber bundle decreased with the increase of the sputtering power and sputtering time, up to 0.22 Ω·mm; at the same time, the tensile strength of the conductive bamboo fiber bundle continuously decreased to 375.6 MPa. According to the X-ray diffraction results, Cu in the copper film on the surface of the conductive bamboo fiber bundle shows the preferred orientation of (111) the crystal plane, indicating that the prepared Cu film has high crystallinity and good film quality. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results show that Cu in the copper film exists in the form of Cu0 and Cu2+, and most are Cu0. Overall, the development of the conductive bamboo fiber bundle provides a research basis for the development of conductive fibers in a natural renewable direction.

A systematic study on material properties of water retted Sterculia and Bauhinia fiber

Lignocellulose biomass forms an important component of traditional and next generation composite materials. To obtain desired properties, the biomass needs to be chemo‒mechanically processed at different levels. The raw lignocellulose fiber obtained from Sterculia villosa (Roxb.) and Bauhinia vahlii is traditionally believed to have high water stability; and therefore used in rural areas of South Asian regions to secure objects submerged under water. In this research, we systematically studied several material properties of raw Sterculia and Bauhinia fiber samples retted for 0, 20, 30 and 55 days (n=8). Water retting resulted in significant decrease in lignin and extractives content (p<0.05) and increase in cellulose content. Fiber bundle strength of Sterculia fiber increased with retting time (R2= 0.7) but Bauhinia fiber did not show significant change (p>0.05). Interestingly, water retting resulted in increased thermal stability in both fiber types. These findings suggested that the fiber studied have excellent water stability. The observed trend in mechanical and thermal properties could have resulted from crystallinity change and/or nominal fiber damage as supported by XRD and SEM imaging data; respectively. These findings suggested that Sterculia and Bauhinia fiber biomass could be an important component of biodegradable composite materials which are intended for high wetting and/or humid conditions.

Luminous behavior and tensile property of twisted side-emitting polymer optical fibers bundles

Side-emitting polymer optical fibers (SEPOFs) are known for providing a strong bright luminosity and have been applied in textile industry. Commonly, available SEPOFs with diameters of 2–3 mm provides higher luminous intensity when combined with textiles, while higher bending stiffness increases difficulty for incorporation with textiles. The SEPOFs with smaller diameters are characterized as more flexible and more suitable for textiles, while their poor mechanical properties limit final applications. The twisting can keep the structure bundles of SEPOFs stable. In this work, SEPOFs with diameter of 0.25 mm were used and different numbers (15, 20, and 25) of SEPOFs were assembled into one bundle by applying different twists (10T/m, 20T/m, and 30T/m). The twisting structure, tensile behavior and side-illumination property of the twisted SEPOFs bundles were investigated. As a result, the stable structure of the twisted SEPOFs bundles was found, and the twisting angles increased with higher twisting degree. The yield strength and strain of twisted SEPOF bundles were about 80–84 MPa and 10–12%, respectively. The initial modulus tended to decrease with a higher twisting degree, but it was still higher than 1.2 GPa. The break of the twisted SEPOFs bundles followed the ‘optimal twist’ theory, which suggested optimal twisting degree for different samples. Besides, the attenuation of side illumination intensity of twisted SEPOFs bundles was found, and the twisting structure had a complicated influence on the side illumination intensity. We suggest that this work will help to promote the use of SEPOF-based bundles and extend to textile applications.

Identification of donor parents containing favourable alleles for improving target American cotton hybrid (NA 1325 × L 604)

The present study was conducted during kharif 2013, kharif 2014 and kharif 2015 at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Lam, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India. The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate four American cotton genotypes and to determine which have the greatest relative values of favourable alleles for the improvement of number of bolls/plant, boll weight (g), 2.5% span length (mm), bundle strength (g/tex), seed cotton yield/plant (g) and lint yield/plant (g) in the elite single cross cotton hybrid (NA 1325 × L 604). Based on the estimates of μG’ values the genotype Surabhi was noted with positive high μG’ value and may be used as source of favourable alleles for improving elite hybrid with respect to quality traits like bundle strength (μG’=1.830*) and 2.5% span length (μG’=1.325*). This improvement may be possible by transferring favourable alleles from Surabhi to NA 1325 through back crossing as it had high genetic affinity with NA 1325. For number of bolls/plant RAH 1004 (μG’=3.230*) and HYPS 152 (μG’=0.302*) for boll weight and both the donors for seed cotton yield/plant (μG’ RAH 1004=13.915*and μG’ HYPS 152=23.972*) may be used as donors as they recorded significant and positive μG’ estimates.

Peracetic acid bleaching of banana fibre: Process optimisation

AbstractBanana is an important commercially available natural fibre, suitable for making coarse yarns. It has also potential for making fine home and apparel textiles after requisite chemical intervention or blending with other fine fibres. For making such products, chemical processing, namely bleaching, coloration and finishing, play an important role. Bleaching of fibre is generally carried out in highly alkaline condition and at high temperature of 85°C using hydrogen peroxide to achieve whiteness index of > 70 with about 25% loss in tensile strength. To achieve a similar whiteness index, while addressing strength loss, a fibre friendly low‐temperature low‐alkali based peracetic acid (PAA) bleaching of banana fibre has been proposed in the present article. Important bleaching process parameters, namely PAA concentration (10–30 g/L), time (60–180 min) and temperature (60–80°C), have been varied for optimisation of the bleaching process. Banana fibre bleaching using PAA concentration of 20 g/L at 70°C for 2 h can produce fibre with whiteness index of > 70, which is suitable for subsequent coloration. The PAA bleached banana fibre can retain 84% of its bundle strength and 95.6% of its weight. Physical (strength, fineness), chemical (attenuated total reflectance Fourier‐transform infrared [ATR‐FTIR], energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy [EDX]), optical (colour) and morphological (scanning electron microscopy [SEM]) properties of banana fibres before and after bleaching were evaluated to study the efficacy of the process.

Preparation and processing performance of high steady-state magnetorheological finishing fluid

Magnetorheological finishing fluid (MRFF), as the transfer medium of magnetorheological finishing, is mainly composed of magnetic particles, base carrier fluid, abrasives and additives, etc. The MRFF with stable performance and good polishing effect is an important factor to achieve magnetorheological deterministic finishing. The magnetic particles with low bulk density are stably suspended in the MRFF, while the micro-structure on the outer surface of the magnetic particles can enhance the holding strength of the magnetic chain bundles on the abrasives in magnetorheological finishing. Highly stable MRFF was prepared by combining solvothermal and calcination reactions to produce flower-like Fe3O4 as magnetic particles, and its settling stability and polishing performance were tested. The stability test results showed that the settling ratio of 64.2% for the flower-like-Fe3O4 MRFF was better than that of 14.2% for the spherical Fe3O4. Compared with the spherical-Fe3O4 magnetic chain bundles, the COMSOL Multiphysics finite element simulation results showed that the magnetic chain bundles composed of flower-like Fe3O4 had a stronger holding force under the magnetic field and a 10.37% increase in shear force during the polishing process. The processing results showed that the polishing depth of flower-like Fe3O4 polishing increased with the gradual reduction of polishing gap, and the polishing with flower-like-Fe3O4 MRFF could obtain deeper material removal depth compared with spherical-Fe3O4 MRFF, and the maximum removal depth increased by 41.5% under the same conditions.

Effects of Thermal Treatment on the Mechanical Properties of Bamboo Fiber Bundles.

Bamboo is known as a typical kind of functional gradient natural composite. In this paper, fiber bundles were extracted manually from various parts of the stem in the radial direction, namely the outer, middle, and inner parts. After heat treatment, the mechanical properties of the fiber bundles were studied, including the tensile strength, elastic modulus, and fracture modes. The micromechanical properties of the fiber cell walls were also analyzed. The results showed that the mean tensile strength of the bamboo fiber bundles decreased from 423.29 to 191.61 MPa and the modulus of elasticity increased from 21.29 GPa to 27.43 GPa with the increase in temperature. The elastic modulus and hardness of the fiber cell walls showed a positive correlation with temperature, with the modulus of elasticity and the hardness increasing from 15.96 to 18.70 GPa and 0.36 to 0.47 GPa, respectively. From the outside to the inside of the bamboo stems, the tensile strength and elastic modulus showed a slight decrease. The fracture behavior of the fiber bundles near the outside approximates ductile fracture, while that of the bundles near to the inside tend to be a brittle fracture. The fracture surfaces of the bamboo bundles and the single fibers became smoother after heat treatment. The results show that bamboo fiber bundles distributed near the outside are most suitable for industrial development under heat treatment at 180 °C. Therefore, this study can provide a reasonable scientific basis for the selective utilization, functional optimization, and bionic utilization of bamboo materials, which has very important theoretical and practical significance.

Potential of Thai Bast Fibers for Injection Molded PLA Composites

Thailand has a huge variability of bast fiber plants, some of which have been little researched regarding their applicability in composites. Bast fiber(bundle)s from different species were investigated and incorporated into a polylactide (PLA) matrix by injection molding. Hemp and kenaf were used as well-studied fibers, while roselle, Fryxell and paper mulberry are less extensively characterized. Tensile strength, tensile modulus and interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of single fiber(bundle)s were highest for hemp, followed by kenaf, roselle, Fryxell and paper mulberry. Despite the lower tensile strength and IFSS of paper mulberry, the highest tensile strength was achieved for the paper mulberry/PLA composite followed by hemp/PLA. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses showed that the single cells in paper mulberry fiber bundles, in contrast to the other fiber types investigated, were only partially bonded to each other, which explains the lower strength of the fiber bundles. The higher aspect ratio of fiber(bundle)s of paper mulberry in the PLA composite can explain the good composite characteristics. Apart from hemp, paper mulberry shows the best reinforcing effect in the PLA matrix and offers interesting potential for composite applications. Compared to neat PLA, the tensile strength could be increased by 24% and the tensile modulus by 54%.

Effect of chemical treatments on physical properties of kenaf bast fibres

In the present study, kenaf bast fibre surfaces have been modified using different chemicals with varying concentration. The effects of these chemical treatments on moisture content, water absorption, fibre diameter and bundle strength are investigated. The benefit of chemical treatments in the removal of impurities from the fibre surfaces has been established by scanning electron microscopy. It is found that the fibres treated with sodium hydroxide and acetic acid show major effect on fibre diameter. Compared to untreated kenaf fibre, strong alkali (NaOH) treatment show maximum water absorption (78.76%) and moisture content (8.15%). In fibre bundle tensile strength, sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate treated fibres show more than 80% improvement in the tensile strength of fibre. Kenaf fibre treated with 10% Na2CO3 show highest tensile strength of 410 MPa.

Analysis of physio-mechanical properties of pineapple leaf fiber

The present research demonstrated that different fiber intimate blends allow the broader use of pineapple leaf fiber for the textile and clothing industries. This fiber is obtained from the leaves of pineapple plants by extraction, carried out to separate the cambium and fiber using a decorticator Machine. The physic-mechanical properties such as bundle strength, whiteness, lustre, linear density, breaking load, breaking extension tenacity, textile modulus were determined as per standard method using different testing machine. There is correlation between length, width and thickness where, if the length is higher than width and thickness also higher. Pineapple (PALF) has tremendous mechanical properties and can be applied in making eco-friendly textile goods. Density of PALF is similar to other natural fibers while Textile modulus is very high, and tensile strength is highest among the related natural fibers. These properties are suitable for its application so this pineapple fibers by blending and mixing with other natural fibers and can be produce various types of cloths.

Accelerated retting technology for the extraction of golden fibre from the Indian Tossa jute (Corchorus sp.)

Conventional retting over 20–25 d in stagnant water results in the production of poor-quality fibre in jute-growing countries which created a need for the development of an effective retting technology. Several retting technologies involving region-specific microbial consortia were reported with limited information on field effectiveness, storability, environmental impact, and cost analysis. In this study a retting formulation, NINFET-Sathi was introduced as a microbial food supplement to promote the growth of the retting microbial population irrespective of location. NINFET-Sathi resulted in 8–10.5% higher yield of jute fibre with 1–1.5 grade improvement within 10–12 d over conventional retting. Unlike earlier reported microbial-retting technologies, NINFET-Sathi did not introduce any new microbe into the retting system. It accelerated the growth of native pectinolytic and xylanolytic microbial populations in the retting water. This formulation improved bundle strength by 10.8–15.3%, fineness by 14.7–22.8%, and colour by 27.9–33.1% with low defects (0.56–0.61% by weight) and root content (7.11–7.68% by length) leading to higher fibre quality (TD-2) over conventional retting (TD-3) consistently for three years of storage. Long storability also offered scopes of distant transport of NINFET-Sathi formulation to jute growing areas with difficulty to reach. Post-retting water with NINFET-Sathi was found to meet water standards for aquaculture and irrigation and resulted in 9.1–24.7% high seed germination in rice, Bengal gram, green gram, and Indian mustard over the pre-retting water. Application of NINFET-Sathi retting technology holds potential for jute farmers to harness a net additional income of nearly USD 257 per ha.

Controllable Preparation and Strengthening Strategies towards High-Strength Carbon Nanotube Fibers.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with superior mechanical properties are expected to play a role in the next generation of critical engineering mechanical materials. Crucial advances have been made in CNTs, as it has been reported that the tensile strength of defect-free CNTs and carbon nanotube bundles can approach the theoretical limit. However, the tensile strength of macro carbon nanotube fibers (CNTFs) is far lower than the theoretical level. Although some reviews have summarized the development of such fiber materials, few of them have focused on the controllable preparation and performance optimization of high-strength CNTFs at different scales. Therefore, in this review, we will analyze the characteristics and latest challenges of multiscale CNTFs in preparation and strength optimization. First, the structure and preparation of CNTs are introduced. Then, the preparation methods and tensile strength characteristics of CNTFs at different scales are discussed. Based on the analysis of tensile fracture, we summarize some typical strategies for optimizing tensile performance around defect and tube–tube interaction control. Finally, we introduce some emerging applications for CNTFs in mechanics. This review aims to provide insights and prospects for the controllable preparation of CNTFs with ultra-high tensile strength for emerging cutting-edge applications.

Softening of Barky Root Cuttings of Jute by Pectinolytic Bacterial Strains for Better Spinability and Industrial Uses

Jute is a very important commercial fibre and cash crop in India. India is the largest producer of jute in the World. The jute fibre available in the market sometimes contains a lot of barky portions. The barky portions of jute cause serious processing difficulties in the industry. As a result barky part is either cut off before processing or the jute reeds used for product development like thick yarn & rugetc. The cut-off portions of jute are called root cuttings and are generally considered as waste material. Forty six bacterial isolates were screened having pectinolytic activity. Two best strains were selected based on the potency index. The bacterial consortium within 1:1 ratio had effectively removed (75-88%) the barky root portion of jute fibre in both 1:10 (10 days) and 1:20 (7 days) liquor ratio. The treated fibre recorded good bundle strength (17-18cN) and spinnable to make 12lb/spy yarn having a tenacity of 7.88 cN/tex. The treatment time was reduced to 5 days (50% reduction) with mechanically softened fibre. Mechanical softening can be used to omit the media supplement of 0.5% Di-ammonium phosphate.

Effect of Fiber Chemical Treatments on Rice Straw Fiber Reinforced Composite Properties

ABSTRACT This work reports the effect of alkali, enzyme, and their sequential combination treatment on rice straw fiber properties (fiber diameter, aspect ratio, fiber length, bundle strength and elongation). The change in fiber properties and its association with rice straw fibers reinforced epoxy biocomposites has been studied. Biocomposites, prepared using the hand lay-up technique, were characterized using FTIR, TGA and SEM. The mechanical properties viz. tensile, flexural, impact and compression were measured according to the ASTM standards. Sound transmission loss and noise reduction coefficient of the composites was also determined. Results showed that the alkali and enzyme treatment to the rice straw significantly reduced fiber length and fiber diameter by 50%. Enzyme treatment caused the highest reduction in fiber diameter which increased the aspect ratio. The sequential combination of alkali and enzyme yielded significant improvements in the tensile (20%), flexural (22%), impact (98%), and compression (328%) strength of the composites. The noise reduction coefficient (0.95) of all rice straw composites was found excellent. Thus, alkali-enzyme pretreated rice straw fiber composite product is a good choice for agro-residue valorization and industrial product development.

Genetic Variance, Heterosis and Correlation for Yield and Fibre Quality in Four F1 Cotton Hybrids

The extent of phenotype and genotype variances, traits correlation and Principal components were investigated in F1 inter-varietal hybrid cotton. The F1 crosses were evaluated alongside their F2s, the eight involved parents and a single standard check. All the hybrids demonstrated positive and significant Relative Heterosis and Heterobeltiosis for sympodial branches and seed cotton yield per plant. Cross IV recorded the highest value for inbreeding depression of 61.7% in Seed cotton yield per plant. Days to first bursting recorded high heritability in narrow sense in IV while number of seeds per boll had same in Cross I. Cross I also recorded high genetic advance for Plant height, number of seeds per boll, seed cotton yield per plant, lint index, number of sympodia per plant and bundle strength, suggesting the effects of additive and dominant genes and absence of epistasis. Meanwhile, 87% of the accumulative variability was accounted for by the principal component 1, 2 and 3; the variability was mostly associated with plant height, seed cotton yield per plant, number of monopodia per plant, days to 50% flowering and bolls weight. The results revealed adequate genetic variability which can be exploited in a selection program for the traits. The positive and significant heterobeltiosis and standard heterosis exhibited in the F1 hybrids can be harnessed for commercial purposes after further evaluation.

Cotton fibre selection based on quality value using measurement of alternatives and ranking according to compromise solution (MARCOS) method

PurposeCotton fibre lots are graded and selected for yarn spinning based on their quality value which is a function of certain fibre properties. Cotton grading and selection has created a domain of emerging interest among the researchers. Several researchers have addressed the said issue using a few exponents of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) technique. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate a cotton selection problem using a recently developed measurement of alternatives and ranking according to compromise solution (MARCOS) method which can handle almost any decision problem involving a finite number of alternatives and multiple conflicting decision criteria.Design/methodology/approachThe MARCOS method of the MCDM technique was deployed in this study to rank 17 cotton fibre lots based on their quality values. Six apposite fibre properties, namely, fibre bundle strength, elongation, fineness, upper half mean length, uniformity index and short fibre content are considered as the six decision criteria assigning weights previously determined by an earlier researcher using analytic hierarchy process.FindingsAmong the 17 alternatives, C9 secured rank 1 (the best lot) with the highest utility function (0.704) and C7 occupied rank 17 (the worst lot) with the lowest utility function (0.596). Ranking given by MARCOS method showed high degree of congruence with the earlier approaches, as evidenced by high rank correlation coefficients (Rs > 0.814). During sensitivity analyses, no occurrence of rank reversal is observed. The correlations between the quality value-based ranking and the yarn tenacity-based rankings are better than many of the traditional methods. The results can be improved further by adopting other efficient method of weighting the criteria.Practical implicationsThe properties of raw cotton have significant impact on the quality of final yarn. Compared to the traditional methods, MCDM is reported as the most viable solution in which fibre parameters are given their due importance while formulating a single index known as quality value. The present study demonstrates the application of a recently developed exponent of MCDM in the name of MARCOS for the first time to address a cotton fibre selection problem for textile spinning mills. The same approach can also be extended to solve other decision problems of the textile industry, in general.Originality/valueNovelty of the present study lies in the fact that the MARCOS is a very recently developed MCDM method, and this is a maiden application of the MARCOS method in the domain of textile, in general, and cotton industry, in particular. The approach is very simple, highly effective and quite flexible in terms of number of alternatives and decision criteria, although highly robust and stable.