Cotton fiber industrial application

Except cotton and kapok, most of the natural cellulosic fibers are multicellular. They are usually used as groups of individual cells or as bundles of fiber in industrial applications. As a term, a fiber , or a technical fiber [14], refers to a bundle of individual cells bound together by hemicellulose, lignin and other non-cellulosic materials [12]. However, the individual fiber cell is drastically stronger than the fiber bundle [56]. For example, the individual fiber of flax is as stiff as aramid [65]. The individual fiber cell has a lumen inside which imparts a hollow structure to the fiber as seen in Figure 11.7. As an example, okra fibers have a void content of 18-32% [15]. The interface between two cells is called middle lamella [14]. 

Stockinette Sta-ko- net [alter, of earlier stocking net] (1784) n. A knit fabric in tubular or flat form made with a plain stitch from yarns of wool, cotton, manufactured fibers, or a combination of these fibers. Stockinette fabrics are used for underwear, industrial applications, and other purposes. In heavier constructions, dyed and napped stockinette finds apparel uses. Also spelled stockinet. 

Commencing in the late 1930s, new developments to make very strong yarns allowed the viscose rayon to replace cotton as the fiber of choice for longer-life pneumatic tires. The pace of this fine of development increased during World War II, and by the 1960s a significant part of the production of viscose yam was for tires and industrial applications. 

Fiber production is a large-volume business around 60 million metric tons per year. About 40% of this is natural fiber cotton and wool the remaining part is man-made , synthetic fiber polyester, polyamide, cellulose, acrylics, and so forth. More than 90% is applied in textiles or carpets. Only about 5% is used in industrial applications. And the new, advanced , high-modulus fibers Technically and commercially very interesting, but we are talking of no more than about 0.2% of the fiber capacity ... 

Textiles and carpets are often based on fiber yarns - cotton, wool, or blends, for example cotton/polyester and wool/polyamide - but 100% synthetic fiber yarns also find wide application. Fiber yarns are hardly ever found in industrial applications. 

Cotton is a soft fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant. Cool, soft, and comfortable, cotton is presently the world s most-used fiber, with applications in apparel, home furnishings, medical and surgical materials, and many other industrial products. Cotton fabrics have a pleasant luster, a soft drape, and a smooth hand. They are very comfortable to wear due to their soft hand and other characteristics. Cotton fabrics have excellent absorbing capabilities and, by absorbing perspiration, they keep the wearer more comfortable. Absorbent cotton products can retain 24-27 times their own weight of water and are stronger when wet than dry. 

Gossypium hirsutum was developed in the United States from cotton that is native to Central America, Caribbean and Mexico. Currently, about 90% of cotton produced worldwide is G. hirsutum. The length of G. hirsutum tint fibers ranges from 25 to 36 mm and is suitable for apparel, home furnishing, and industry applications. 

Other food/agricultural applications are in the beverage and fabrics/ wool industries. Wood fibers are easily analyzed for lignin, wool and cotton for ability to accept dyes, and beverages, both soft and hard, may be analyzed for contents. 

Major applications of fibers lie in apparel, home furnishing, and industrial products. In each of these, manufactured fibers have made large inroads, and currently their usage dominates. As an illustration, consider the changes that have taken place in the use of the materials required in the manufacture of tire cords. Originally made from cotton, rayon took a... 

An interesting nanocomposite was formed from natural cellulose fibers incorporated with sucrose (Fahmy et ah, 2006). These authors used cotton linters and a key finding was that sucrose could be incorporated into the micropores of mercerized fibers that had not been previously dried. This allowed stronger fibers to be prepared. Although this example is not from the food industry, the finding that sucrose incorporation in nondried fiber preserves the nanostructure may have implications for improving the properties of cellulose used in food applications. 

The greatest industrial consumption of monobasic aluminum acetate has been as a solution in the preparation of red color lakes for the dyeing of cotton. Formation of a water-resistant coating on fabrics, paper, leather, or other materials is also an important application. In this process, for example, cloth is dipped into a solution of water-soluble soap, then into the aluminum salt solution, forming an insoluble, water-resistant aluminum soap coating on the fiber surfaces (10). 

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