Assessing cotton fiber quality from a tiny sample
Monday, October 27, 2014 - 07:00
in Physics & Chemistry
At a time when there is an uptick in U.S. cotton exports, it's not surprising that the Agricultural Research Service's Southern Regional Research Center (SRRC), located in New Orleans, Louisiana, upgraded its cotton textile pilot plant. There, materials engineer Christopher Delhom has successfully "reimagined" model spinning equipment, outfitting it to be able to spin as little as 30-60 grams (1-2 ounces) of cotton fibers grown from selected experimental seeds. The tiny batch of fibers can be quickly tested to gauge the new varieties' fiber performance and viability for use on standard equipment and in textiles.