Indian Journal of Fibre & Textile Research Vol. 31, September 2006, pp. 369-375
Effect of mass of kapas on quality of ginned lint
M Tamil Selvana & K Raghunathan
Department of Textile Technology, A C College of Technology, Anna University, Chennai 600025, India Received 28 May 2005; revised received and accepted 14 September 2005
Impact of mass of kapas on quality of ginned lint has heen studied using MCU-5 variety. It is found that with the increase in mass of kapas, the quantity of lint and its length illcrcase. The other physical properties of lint are also found to be superior with the increase in mass of kapas. Irrespective of the mass of kapas, the ginning machine setting shows significant impact on fibre properties. Thc strength and elongation of fibre vary significantly with varying length of oscillation of beater knife from the edge of fixed knife. This is because the removal of fibres from the seed is accomplished by a fixed knife held tightly against a single gillning roller and a moving (reciprocating) knife that co-operates with the roller and fixed knife to separate the libre from the seeds. The range of increase in short fibre content and nep (content/g) is found to be significantly higher in the sample below 100 mg. If feec!ing is done in the form of locule in the ginning machine, the fibre deterioration is significantly lesser as compared to feeding as kapas.
Keywords: Cotton, Ginning, Lint IPC Code: Inl.CI.8 DOIBI/OO
1 Introduction
Separating the locules with respect to their mass, taking into consideration the total number of kapas, results in the categorization of kapas with respect to their mass, which, in turn, leads to categorization of fibres with respect to their physical properties. The variations in kapas separated from locules of lower mass are significantly higher compared to variations of kapas separated from locules of higher mass.
Irrespective of the number of kapas within a locule, the mass of kapas plays a vital role in deciding the fibre properties (unpublished work). Mass of kapas, seed, and lint per seed significantly affect the properties of fibres. But on the whole, the mass of kapas and its corresponding quantity playa vital role in deciding the properties of fibre within a particular variety. Increase in mass of kapas results in an increase in fibre upper quartile length (UQL), weight per unit length and maturity ratio (MR), and decrease in short fibre content (SFC), immature fibre content (IFC) and nep (content/g). Therefore, an increase in mass of kapas results in superior fibre properties ancl vice versa, as also observed by using HV!. The increase in mass of kapas results in an increase in micronaire value (Mic) and reflectance value (Rd), and decrease in elongation (ELG) and yellowness value (+b). In general, the wide range of mass
a To whom all the correspondence should be addressed.
E-mail: tamilsudha@yahoo.com
vanatlon of kapas has been noticed within the particular variety. Therefore, this gives an insight into considering the mass of kapas during ginning process to reduce the deterioration of fibre properties. The cotton gin has, as its principal function, the conversion of a field crop into a salable commodity.
Thus, it is the bridge between cotton production and texti Ie manufacturing.
The practice of drying seed cotton to reduce moisture in the lint prior to cleaning or ginning is common in gins throughout the country. Results reported from several investigationsl-4
have shown that certain fibre properties are adversely affected when moisture in the lint prior to ginning is reduced to an extremely low level.
Ginning rate in double roller gins is 8-10 times lower than that in saw gin_5 The neps in card sliver from saw ginned cottons are lower by 30 - 60 % as compared to roller ginned cottons, even though saw ginned lint samples have higher neps.6 Although double roller ginning is slower, it is far gentler on the fibre and preserves the quality of lint as compared to saw ginning.7 Attempts to increase the ginning rates have been made by Gillium and Armij08 and Chellamani et
at_
They used a rotary knife system instead of oscillating knife for beating the seeds to separate them out from the fibre. The present work is aimed at studying the impact of mass of kapas on quality of ginned lint370 INDIAN 1. FIBRE TEXT. RES, SEPTEMBER 2006
The fibre properties and their trends with respect to mass of kapas in 9 different varieties (Suvin, DCH 32, MCU 5, LRA, Surabi, RCH, Bhanni, Bhavani, and Multi +) were studied. As the results were almost similar in all varieties, a generalised conclusion by studying only a single variety MCU 5 was made in the present study.
2 Materials and Methods
The experimental MCU-5 variety was grown and harvested at lrrulappatti vi lIage in the state of Tami I Nadu. From the collected cotton, four di fferent samples were separated. The normal sample was collected as per the usual practices followed for collection and preparation of cotton for ginning and with respect to total number of bpas in a locule, three samples were grouped, namely 10CLdes of 5 kapas, 10Cldes of 6 kapas, and 10CLdes of 7 kapas. Each sample was again categorized into three different samples with respect to mass of kapas, namely 'below 100 mg', '101-150 mg', and '151-200 mg'. The process followed for collection and testing of fibres is shown in Fig. 1. Each cotton sample was processed separately from ginning with three different lengths (30 mm, 32 mm and 34 mm) of oscillation of beater
Collection of bolls Disintegration of l
~
ocules~
Categorization of loculcs with respect to their total number of kapas (manually)
r r l
Locules of 5 kapns
GroupJg of Kapas
Locules of 6 k.pas Locules of 7 kapas Nonnal
! !
Grouping of kapas Grouping of kapas
~ 1 ~
Group-I Group-2 Group-3
GtJ"Jro".'
Group-I Group-2 Group-3 Group-I Group-2 Group-3
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(Every group were ginned separately) Collection of lint
1
(Collection of lin! of each group were done separately)
Testing of fibres
( t
AFIS and BVI) Group I -Mass ofkapas below 100Group 2 -Mass ofkapas between 100 and 150 mg Group 3 -Mass of kapas between 151 and 200 mg
Fig. I - Method followed for collection and testing of fibres
knife from the edge of fixed knife. The ginning machine specifications are: roller speed, 120 rpm; and frequency of oscillation of beater knife, 950 opm. To study the effect of ginning process on lint quality, the MCU-5 cotton variety was collected from three locations in Rajapalayam, Tamil Nadu. Each location was about 6 miles apart from the other. The samples of 9 picking periods were separately collected from location - 1. The samples of 5 picking periods out of 8, and 4 picking periods out of 6 were collected from locations 2 and 3 respectively. Irrespective of the picking period within a location, two samples were separated to measure the opening efficiency in terms of volume occupied by the material. To measure the volume of cotton sample, a circular cylinder of the diameter 10.18 cm was selected. The height occupied by the cotton before and after disintegration of kapas from the locule was measured and then the volume (nr"l1) of circular cylinder calculated. Separation of lint from the seed was done using roller gin. For ginning manually, fine knife was used.
Fibre samples were tested using High Volume Instruments (HVI) and Advance Fibre Information system (AFIS) as per the standard procedure.
Fig. '2 - Mass of kapas and its linl distrihulion (1\ lel '-'i)
Fig. 3 - Mass of kapas and its lint distribution by Bacr sorter (MCU-5)
SELVAN & RAGHUNATHAN: EFFECT OF MASS OF KAPAS ON QUALITY OF GINNED LINT
3 Results and Discussion
3.1 Mass of Kapas and its Lint Distribution
Mass of kapas and its lint distributions are shown in Figs 2 and 3. The quantity of lint and its length in 200 mg kapas are higher as compared to that in 100 mg and 150 mg kapas. Therefore, the increase in mass of kapas increases the quantity of lint and its length.
The other physical properties of lint are also superior with the increase in mass of kapas. The results of fibre properties with respect to mass of locules and kapas are in agreement with the earlier work. I Due to this, it is expected that the change 10 glOnlOg process parameter is essential with respect to mass of kapas during ginning.
3.2 Mass of Kapas and its Ginned Lint Quality
Irrespective of total number of kapas within a locule, the mass of kapas plays a vital role in deciding the fibre properties I because the kind of trend with respect to mass of kapas in locules of 5, 6 and 7 kapas are almost similar. This indicates that there is no significant change in fibre properties with respect to particular mass of kapas with varying total number of kapas within a locule for a particular setting (downward movement of oscillating knife from the edge of fixed knife.) in ginning. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2. The UQL, SFC and nep (content/g), as per the AFIS result, show best results in 32 mm and 34 mm settings as compared to that in 30 mm setting. Similarly, the STR (strength), ELG (elongation), LEN (length) and SFI (short fibre index) in HVI results show best results in 30 mm setting as compared to that in 32 and 34 mm. Therefore, from the above result it can be concluded that irrespective of total number of kapas within a locule, the mass of kapas and setting show significant impact on fibre properties. ANOV A study shows significant changes in fibre properties with varying length of oscillation of beater knife and mass of kapas (Appendix 1). The STR and ELG vary significantly with the varying length of oscillation of beater knife from the edge of fixed knife. This is because the removal of fibres from the seed is accomplished by a fixed knife held tightly against a single ginning roller and a moving (reciprocating) knife that co-operates with the roller and fixed knife to separate the fibre from the seeds. In general, the fibre strength is always higher than that of its base (point at which the fibre stickjng the surface of seed) because the fibres are pulled out from the seed. In earlier days, based on this concept, the cotton fibre was probably pulled off the seed by hand.
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The churka gin is a small hand-powered machine with two-hardwood pinch roller that grip the fibre and pull it away from the seed.lo If pulling force is applied along the axis of fibre, the fibre will break at the base.
However, the fibres at varying position in the surface of the seed cause a different force as compared to tensi Ie force. A characteristic feature of cotton, however, IS the wide variation in most of its properties, not only between the fibres that constitute a sample, but also within a fibre itself.11 This, in turn.
leads to fibre breakage not exactly at the base (fuzzy- seed). Due to this, there is wide range of deterioration In fibre length. In some cases, fuzzy-seeded Indian cottons (DCH32) that grow best in the south could not be processed satisfactorily on the rolier gin because the fibre was attached to the seed too strongly. With respect of measurement of fibre strength at its base (attachment strength), many difficulties have been experienced. This is because the kapas of similar mass varies 111 its lint quantity and thus it IS found that keeping similarity in kapas preparation for testing is found to be very difficult. The sample 'below 100 mg' shows lower strength and short fibre index, and higher elongation 111 manual ginning, but 111 roller ginning machine, the generation of range of short fibre content IS 43% higher as compared to the samples '100-150 mg' and '151-200 mg', as shown in Annexure 1. The nature of trend with respect to mass of kapas is same in all the three samples but the range of increment 111 SFC and NEP (content/g) IS significantly higher in the sample 'below 100 mg'. Moreover, the impact of mass of kapas on ginning process with reference to speed of beater knife and roller may significantly affect the fibre properties.
3.3 Effect of Ginning on Fibre Quality
Picking-wise machine and manual ginned lint properties are shown in Table 3. The machine and manual ginned lint properties are found to be significantly differelit, particularly with regard to length uniformity, elongation, short fibre content and nep (content/g). The same study IS also conducted with respect to mass of kapas and the results are shown in Table 4. The manually ginned lint properties are significantly superior as compared to machine ginned lint, thereby indicating that the ginning process significantly affects the fibre quality.
3.4 Impact of Disintegration of Kapas on Ginning
Due to disintegration of kapas, volume of cotton sample increases significantly. The volume occupied by the cotton before and after disintegration of kapas
SELVAN & RAGHUNATHAN: EFFECT OF MASS OF KAPAS ON QUALITY OF GINNED LINT 373
Table 3 - Picking-wise data on fibre physical properties from all locations and pickings
Ginning Picking period HVI results _~A:.=-F-,-,IS:::....:..::re:.::.su::..:l-=ts _ _ _ _ _ _
Machine Manual Machine Manual Machine Manual Machine Manual Machinc Manual Machine Manual Machine Manual Machine Manual Machine Manual
Machine Manual Machine Manual Machine Manual Machine Manual Machine Manual
Machine Manual Machine Manual Machinc Manual Machine Manual
2
2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9
2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5
2 2 3 3 4 4
STR LEN UNF SFI ELG UQL SFC
g/tex
27.5 276 27.6 29.7 26.9 27 27.3 27.8 248 27.9 24 25.3 24.9 25.2 25.3 25.2 24.1
22
27.9 28.4 29.1 25.7 28.1 27.4
29 24.8 29.6 23.9
27.5 28.7 27.8 25.1 28.3 25.9 25.5 26.1
mm
31.6 33.3 32.7 33.3 32.3 34 32.5 34.9 32.4 33.1 30.5 33.4 31.7 31.7
30.2 33.2 29.7 30.1
32.5 34.9 31.3 33.2 31.7 33.2 30.6 31.9 30.7 32.6
31. I 33.4 31.9 32.5 3 I. I 308 31.6 34.1
Location 1 46 53.5 45.7 55.9 46.7 52.3 45.7 53.9 46.5 54.8 45 54 45.1 49.4 43.3 53 42.6 45.1 Location 2
43.6 52.6 43.8 48.6 45 51.1
45.1 51.4 42.6 49 Location 3
46.3 51.9 46.4 52.6 46.8 49.6 43.2 49.4
<3.5
<3.5
<3.5
<3.5
<3.5
<3.5
<3.5
<3.5
<3.5
<3.5 4.9
<3.5
<3.5
<3.5 5.4
<3.5 8.2 5.4
<3.5
<3.5 4.7
<3.5
<3.5
<3.5 4.6
<3.5 6.8
<3.5
<3.5
<3.5
<3.5
<3.5
<3.5
<3.5 4.8
<3.5
%
4.9 6.3 5.1 6.2 4.7 5.7 4.9 6.1 5 5.7 4.8 5.8 4.7 5.9 4.9 6.1 4.9 5.8
5.4 61 5.2 5.9 5.5 6.4 5.4 6.2 5.7 6.3
5 6.1 55 5.8 5.1 5.9 5.1 5.8
mm
34.7 36.2 34.2 36.1 35.6 36.3 35.8 38.2 35.5 36.5 31.1 34.5 33.8 33.2 33.3 35 33.1 32.2
35.4 38.1 35.5 358 34.7 33.2 33.8 34.6 32.6 37.3
33.8 34.7 35.7 35.5 35.8 35.4 33.3 35.1
23.9 15.1 25.8 13.6 24.7 17.7 26.8 12.4 25 18 25.5 245 26.3 18.6
32.8 161 35.2 24.6
26.8 19.9 24.5 23.4 26.6 23.5 27.3 20.8 29.5 18.1
23.8 15.8
15.9 18.1 20.5 13.9 33.8 21.9 Machine and manual ginned lint propelties, namely UQL, ELG, SFC and NEP, arc significantly different at 95% confidence level.
NEP content/g
172 106
125 82 168 96 214 81 153 99 190 224 177 70 197 118 309 164
152 141 176 186
197 150 168 114 213 136
188 96 l'il 103 120 110 394 190
374 INDIAN 1. FIBRE TEXT. RES., SEPTEMBER 2006
Table 4 - Mass of kapas and its corresponding fibre properties by HVI
Mass of kapas Ginning SCI MIC STR, g/tex LEN, mm UNF SFI ELG,% CSP CG Rd Yellowness. +b
Below 100 mg Machine 100 2.3 23.5 33 40.8 5 5.9 2228 32-2 71.1 10.5
Manual 168 2.3 25.5 34.2 47.5 <3.5 6.2 2521 41-3 72.2 9.2
100-150 mg Machine 149 3 26.1 33.9 46.1 <3.5 5.6 2350 32-2 70.3 104
Manual 174 3 25.1 34.5 49 <3.5 6.1 2520 41-3 73.2 9.1
151-200 mg Machine 134 3.5 26.1 34.8 44.6 <3.5 54 2330 32-2 72.2 10
Manual 185 3.5 25.8 35.2 50.3 <3.5 5.7 2547 31-4 73.9 9.1
Machine and manual ginned lint properties, namely UNF, SFI, ELG, CSP, Rd and +b, are significantly different at 95% confidence level.
Table 5 - Volume (cm» occupied by the material before and after disintegration of kapas
Sample Before After
Location I
Sample I 1140.84 4237.41
Sample 2 9126.73 23224.27
Location 2
Sample I 896.37 3504.01
Sample 2 4970.8 10349.06
Location 3
Sample I 733.39 3096.57
Sample 2 4726.34 10675.01
Volume occupied by the material before and after disintegration of kapas are significantly different at 95% confidence level.
Table 6 - Form of material and its lint properties
Form of material HVI results AFIS result
STR LEN UNF SFI ELG UQL SFC NEP
g/tex mm % mm content/g
Kapas 25.9 30.6 46.6 <3.5 5.9 33.7 29 187
Locule 294 32.8 52.7 <3.5 6.2 35.8 21.2 64
Kapas 264 32 44.4 <3.5 5.9 333 27.8 225
LOClile 25.4 32.3 49.9 <35 67 35.3 24.5 110
Kapas 254 31.4 45.4 <3.5 6.1 328 26.8 172
Locule 25.4 32.3 48.9 <3.5 6.4 34.4 218 82
The form of material, namely kapas and locules, significantly affect the lint quality particularly in UNF. ELG. UQL. SFC and NEP at 95% confidence level.
is shown in Table 5. Due to the disintegration of kapas, fibres tips (edges) are projected out from the seed, resulting in significant reduction in elongation;
the lint out-turn however decreases. Therefore, if you feed as locule in the ginning machine, the fibre deterioration is significantly lesser as compared to feeding as kapas. The results are shown in Table 6. In the case of locules, the length uniformity, elongation, short fibre content and nep content/g give superior results.
4 Conclusions
It is very clear that the ginning process significantly affects the fibre quality but there is no significant change in fibre properties with respect to particular mass of kapas by varying total number of kapas within a locule in particular setting (downward movement of oscillating knife from the edge of fixed knife.) The kind of trend with respect to mass of kapas is same in all three locule samples but the range of increment in SFC and NEP (content/g) is
SELVA & RAGHUNATHAN: EFFECT OF MASS OF KAPAS 0 QUALITY OF GINNED LINT 375
significantly higher in the sampl e below 100 mg.
Ifyou feed as
loculein the ginnin g machine, the fibre deterioration is significantly
lesseras compared to feeding as kapas
.Therefore, the consideration should be given for the mass of kapas and form of material
like kapas or locule during ginning, so as to avoid or minimize the deterioration in fibre quality with modified gin
ningparameters
.Acknowledgement
The authors are thankful
tothe Joint Managing Director (JMD) and
otherofficia
lsof
Mis.Sambandam Spinnin
gMills Limited
,Salem 636 014, Tamil Nadu, India, for their help in testing the requi
site samples.
References
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2 Hart W J, Bailey T L W (Jr), Keyser W R (Jr) & Compton J.
Text Res J, 25 (1955) 415.
3 Leitgeb D J & Wakeham H, Text Res J, 24 (1954) 1047.
4 Nelson M L. Andre.ws F R & Grant J N, Text Res J. 29 (1959) 260.
5 COlllparative Pel!orlnance of Different Types of GillS. A report submitted by CTRL. ATIRA & AIFCOSPAN to IDA/lBRD sponsored by NCDC. India (1984).
6 Chellamani K P. Parthasarathy N & Arindan Basu, Asian Text.l. 12 (July 2003) 75.
7 Sundaram V. COlltributioll of COttOIl Techllo!ogica!
Research Laboratory to IlIIprovelllellt of COl/Oil Ginnillg ill 'lldia, Series No. 144 (CTRL. Bombay). 1980.
8 Gilliulll M W & Armijo C B, Alii Soc Agricu!t Eng. 43 (2000) 809.
9 Chellaillani K P. Parthasarlhy N & Jaykumar V, Asiall Text J, 9 (June 2000) 55.
10 Wayne Smith C & Tom Cothren J. COl/oll-Origill, I-liston', TeclJ/lo!ogy. and Productioll (Wiley Series in Crop Science.
Texas A & M University). 1999.
II Nanjundayya C, Iyengar R L N, NalU W R, Ghatge M B.
Murli K S. Parikh C B, Sethi B L & Mahta D N, COl/Oil
Illdia - A MOllograph (Indian Central Colton Commillee.
Bombay), 1960, 40.
Appendix I - ANOV A results
Mass of kapas _ _ __ _ __ 3_0'_' _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ 3_2_" _ _ __ _ _
STR ELG LEN UQL SFC NEP STR ELG LEN UQL SFC NEP STR ELG LEN UQL SFC NEP
Below 100 mg 25.3 6.2 :\34 29.7 43.7 377 224 4.8 29.3 30.8 30.1 268 20.2 4.8 30.7 30.6 29.8 256
25.8 6.2 32.8 33.4 36 483 17.9 4.8 30.2 32.5 31 658 20.5 4.7 30.2 31.1 284 402
254 6 31.7 32.6 41.4 427 19 4.6 30.2 32.2 29.8 734 21.5 4.7 29.5 32.7 28 34('
2:l.5 5.9 33 33.5 35.1 206 21.3 4.8 30.6 33.1 29.2 170 19.8 4.8 29.6 31.7 214 258
156.2 1493 120.1 1830 113.6 1262
100-150mg 24.8 5.7 33.7 31.5 39.9 256 23.5 4.6 31.5 36.5 24.6 148 19.9 4.8 31.8 344 22.2 106
29.4 6 334 344 31.5 219 21.5 4.8 31.5 35 17.9 164 2UI 4.9 30.8 34.3 19.7 108
26.5 5.8 34 34 28.5 161 21.6 5 32 33.7 26.6 ISO 22.3 4.8 30.1 34.6 25.5 196 26.1 5.6 33.9 33.5 36.5 1 4 6 2 2 4 4.6 31.8 32.2 30.6 20421.8 4. 8 30.9 34.1 19.4 118
1364 782 99.7 666 86.8 528
151-200mg 264 5.3 344 33.8 32.5 103 25.8 4 32.2 34.3 22.3 146 22.6 4.2 31.5 343 24.9 92 25.1 5.3 34 35 28.5 129 21.6 5 31.7 36.7 134 78 21.7 5 324 35.l! 16.8 4 29,7 64 35 33.1 32.7 157 234 5.3 324 35.1 24.6 154 22.9 4.8 32.7 35.3 18.8 76 26.1 54 34.8 34.3 33.8 90 21.7 4.8 33.7 36.2 20.1 130 24.3 4.3 32 35.3 22.5 62
127.5 479 804 508 83 314
F - calculated values (F-test) : Impact of mass of kapas on fibre properties = R.OS5; Impact of length of oscillation of beater knife = 5.508:
F -Calculated values are significant at 95 % and 99% confidence level.
"Length (0101) of oscillation of beater knife from the edge of fixed knife (downward movement).
