Problems originating from cotton Fiber

Problems Caused by Immature and/or Dead Cotton

Although it a common practice to use the terms dead and immature interchangeably, it is
useful to use these terms to indicate two different levels of maturity in cotton fibers. The normal
mature cotton fiber is bean-shaped in cross-section and has a thick cell-wall. The other extreme,
dead cotton, has virtually no cell-wall thickness. The intermediate range between mature and
dead is classified as immature. The immature (sometimes called thin-walled) fiber does have
some secondary wall thickening. The thinner wall of the immature fiber lacks the rigidity of
mature cotton. This increased flexibility of immature or dead fibers makes them prone to be
mechanically knotted into a clump during ginning, lint cleaning and carding. These neps or
clusters of fibers may resist dye and appear as white specks in the dyed material.
The distinction between dead and immature fibers is very important. Both dye lighter than fully
mature fibers but only immature fibers respond to mercerization or any other swelling
treatment. In contrast, dead fibers lack the ability to accept some dye even if pre-treated with a
swelling agent.
The white or light-colored specks caused by immature/dead fibers may be of one of the
following three types. The first type of the defect occurs when a surface knot of entangled
immature fibers is flattened during processing and takes on a glazed, shiny appearance. The knot
then becomes a small, reflective mirror on the surface of the dyed material. Its greater reflectance
makes the knot appear lighter at some viewing angles than the surrounding area although it has
actually been dyed to the same depth. The second type occurs when the fabric is poorly
penetrated during dyeing. Since the clumps of immature fibers are often loosely attached to the
material, they can be moved or knocked loose during subsequent processes. If the clump, or the
yarn behind it, is not properly penetrated during dyeing, a light spot will be seen when the clump
changes its position. The third type is the classic case of the clump of immature or dead fibers
not dyeing to the same depth as the surrounding material.
The coverage of immature cotton depends upon the following factors:
Fiber preparation: There are several stages in the fiber preparation where an attempt can be made
to decrease the amount of neps of the immature and/or dead fibers that are usually clumped
together. It is important to try to remove these clumps prior to the carding process. Once past the
main cylinder of the card, the clumped fibers go into the subsequently formed yarn and the
fabric.
Preparation sequence: The preparation sequence has little, if any, impact on the coverage of
immature cotton. Only pre-treatments that swell the cell wall, giving it greater thickness, are
effective in improving the dyeability of immature cotton.
Swelling pre-treatment: Treatment with swelling agents at optimum concentration (e.g. caustic
soda with a 14% or greater concentration) is effective in swelling the secondary wall of immature

cotton, and improving its dyeing affinity. On the other hand, dead cotton lacks the necessary cellwall thickness to be effectively treated by any type of swelling pre-treatment system.
Dye selection: Dyes vary widely in their ability to effectively eliminate the white or off-shade
specks. It is recommended that dye suppliers be consulted for data on the immature cotton
coverage capabilities of specific dyes. Since caustic pre-treatment is ineffective in eliminating
white or off-shade specks caused by dead cotton, dye selection is the best alternative in this case.
Although the exact mechanisms are unknown, one theory is that dyes that cover dead cotton are
those which do not penetrate into the cellulose of the fiber (the core) but are deposited mainly in
the
outside
layer.
This
gives
the
dead
fiber
a
colored
skin.
Aftertreatments: Swelling treatments such as mercerization orammonia treatment may be
effectiveafterdyeing,aswellasbefore,iftheproblemisthepresenceofreflectivesurfacesand
notagenuinedifferenceindyeuptakebytheimmaturecotton.However,suchaprocedureis
justifiedonlyinextremecases,asthereisaninevitablechangeofshadeevenwhenthefabricis
dyedwithdyesthatareresistanttostrongalkalis.

Problems originating from Cotton Fiber -II

Problems Caused by Dyeability Variation in Cotton
The results of research confirm the dyeability variations in cotton obtained from different
sources. It has been suggested that the substrate should be obtained from a single source,
wherever possible, in order to keep the dyeability variations to a minimum. Since some dyestuffs
are more sensitive to dyeability variations than others; those dyes should be selected for dyeing
which are less sensitive to dyeability variation.
Problems Caused by Contaminants in Cotton

While cotton fibre may be as much as 96 % cellulose, there are other components present which
must be removed in preparation for a successful dyeing. Table 1 gives a summary of naturally
occurring impurities in cotton. The level of contamination in cotton is affected by: geology of
cultivation area; soil constitution; weather conditions during the maturing period; cultivation
techniques;
chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers; as well as harvesting techniques [20]. For the dyer, the
elements that pose the greatest threat are alkaline earth and heavy metal contaminants such as

calcium, magnesium, manganese, and iron. Depending on its origin, raw cotton can exhibit
widely different contents of alkaline earth and heavy metal ions.
Levels of fats, oils and waxes present in cotton can be reduced to acceptable limits by the action
of alkali and surface-active products. In extreme cases, the use of solvent and surface active
mixtures may be necessary. Pectins and the related substances can be rendered soluble by the
action of alkali, usually caustic soda, which also acts as a swelling agent. Amino acids are also
rendered soluble in the presence of alkali by producing the corresponding sodium salts. Metals,
however, cannot be adequately removed by conventional alkaline processes since, in an alkaline
medium, sequestering agents cannot quantitatively separate the minerals of a complex structure
containing heavy metals. Moreover, in the alkaline pH region, cellulose swells rapidly and
strongly, thus impairing the transport of crystalline minerals from the core to the periphery of the
fiber. Demineralization with organic or inorganic acid is more effective as compared to the
alkaline treatment process. However, regardless of the efficacy of an acid treatment, the use of
organic or inorganic acids for the demineralization of cellulosic fibers involves a number of
disadvantages such as corrosion of machine parts, difficulties in handling, and risk of fiber
damage with strong inorganic acids, while organic acids give lower demineralization and are
more volatile. Specialty products based upon strongly acidic sequestering agents or a mixture of
sequestering agents with organic buffer systems are recently being used for demineralization of
cotton. These products offer numerous advantages over conventional acids such as hydrochloric
acid or sulphuric acid. Some of the advantages are given as follows:
No corrosion
No steam volatility
No unpleasant odor
Prevention of dissolved metal ions from re-precipitating
Synergy with surfactants, improving the washing effect, dispersion power and soil suspension
capacity
Lower ash content
Improved degree of whiteness
No fiber damage
However, with such an intensive demineralization treatment, care must be taken that magnesium
ions are added in subsequent peroxide bleaches, in order to avoid fiber damage in the bleach
owing to insufficient stabilization of hydrogen peroxide.
Effect of Cotton Color Grade on the Color Yield of Dyed Goods
The difference in the color yield of cotton of different original color grades, when dyed after
scouring and bleaching, is so small as to be explicable by experimental variation.