What is Cotton and types of cotton? History of Cotton.

Cotton

Cotton is a soft natural pure cellulose fibre (vegetable fibre) that surrounds the seed and comes from seedpot of cotton plant, used to manufacture cloth. It is the most widely used natural fibre all over the world.

History of Cotton

No one knows exactly the origin of various species of cotton. But scientists found bits of cotton bolls in cloth while searching the Tehuaca’n Valley of Maxico and that is about 7000 years old. The plant has certainly been grown and used in India for at least 5000 years ago and probably for much longer that was found in Valley of Pakistan. About the same time, people in Egypt also woven and used cotton fabric.

Arab Merchant brought cotton to Europe Countries about 800 AD. When Columbus first discovered America in 1492, he found cotton growing in the Bahamas. By 1500, cotton was known generally throughout the world. One of the earliest crops grown by European settlers,  planted at Jamestown colony in 1607.

Cotton was first spun by machine in 1730 in England. Eli Whitney first invented the cotton gin in 1793. Cotton was the most important crop in South before the American Civil War (1861-1865). Slaves usually worked all day long to pick cotton for their masters while overseers watched from their horses. England was one of the south’s largest customers.

Now cotton is produced commercially in more than 60 countries where America, China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Brazil are the largest producers. 

From earlier Bangladesh is cultivating cotton. The finest cotton fabric Moslin was produced in Bengal during British rule, most famous all over the world that time. But cotton wasn’t cultivated widely for commercial purpose and the production is only around 4-5% to the requirements. Therefore, the Textile Industries have to depend on the exported cotton.

Types of Cotton

Cotton can be classified into various class according to commercial, botanical, staple length, maturity. All kinds are given briefly below:

According to commercial point of view:

(a)  Sea Island cotton: This is the highest valuable cotton in the market for its high quality. Sea Island cotton grows on the coast of the Gulf of Florida, Barbados and in other adjacent islands where the climate is suitable. The length of the cotton is from 1.5 inches to 2.5 inches and diameter is 0.017nm. It can be used for spinning finest count of about 2.94Tex and sometimes mixed with silk. It is famous for its uniformity, maturity, highly developed luster, twist, soften and silk like texture. Its color is white to cream. It was also grown on the uplands of Georgia, where thequality was inferior and was soon surpassed in commercial production by another native American species, Upland cotton, which today represents about 95% of U.S production.

(b) Egyptian cotton: There are two kinds of Egyptian cotton:- one brown and the other is white. Egyptian cotton is usually produced in Egypt with extra long staple length. It is very regular and contains few immature or dead fibres. The staples of Egyptian cotton can range from 1 .5 inches to 1.75 inches. Their long length (about twice the size of other cotton fibers) allows them to be spun into very fine yarns but not more than 2.95Tex. These yarns are soft and lustrous yet are very strong and durable.

(c)  South American cotton: This has a staple length of 1 inch to 1.5 inches and diameter is .0195mm. It is very suitable to mix with regenerated man made fibre.

(d) American cotton: This is cultivated in the United States. Its staple length is 0.9 inches to 1.25 inches and diameter is 0.021mm. It has good natural color and cannot be used for the extremely fine counts(8.43tex).

(e)  Indian cotton: This is short fibre of 0.6 inches to 0.8 inches. Therefore, it is only suitable for producing coarser counts.

(f)   China cotton: This is the lowest commercially acceptable grade. Its staple length is short and its from 0.5 inches to 0.7 inches. Its twist is not highly developed and rather than harsh. It is not suitable for spinning a good yarn and is usually used in mixture with better quality.

According to Botanical classification:

(a)  Gossypium harbaceum: This kind is usually cultivated in Asian Countries like India, Pakistan, China and Bangladesh. Its length is from 0.8 inches to 1 inch, height of the plant is of 3 feet to 6 feet, flower color is yellow.

(b) Gossypium hirsutum: This kind is cultivated in North andSouth America (90% of world production). Its length is from 0.5 inches to 1.20 inches, height of the plant is from 6 feet, flower color is Red.

(c)  Gossypium peruvianum: This is mainly produced in Peru and other South American countries.

(d) Gossypium arboretum: It is widely cultivated in America, also in India, Pakistan, Russia. Its length is from 0.5 inches to 1.20 inches, height of the plant is fro 10 feet to 15 feet.

(e)  Gossypium barbedense: This type is mainly produced inEgypt and Sudan which is known as Sea Island cotton. It is a high quality cotton but production is low (8% of world production). Its length is from 1.2 inches to 2.4 inches, height of the plant is of 6 feet to 15 feet, flower color is yellow.

According to maturity:

(a)  Mature fibre: We know mature fibre has well developed cell wall and very small lumen. Like that mature cotton has small lumen and it is the best in quality.

(b)  Immature fibre: Fibre with thinner secondary cell wall, larger lumen is Immature fibre. They cannot exhaust the dye molecules properly in dyeing or printing. As a result, they produce uneven shade during dyeing.

(c)   Dead fibre: Dead fibre has a only a primary cell wall. The lumen occupied the bulk of fibre. They remain undyed in dyeing.

According to fibre length:

(a)  Long staple: This is the best and finest quality and has luster. Length of the cotton is longer than the others and it’s from 1 inch to 2.5 inches (25-65mm). Diameter is 10-15 microns. Sea Island cotton, Egyptian, American pima cotton etc. are example of long staple cotton.

(b) Medium staple: This fibre is medium grade, has mediumstrength and luster. Its length is from 0.5 inches to 1.3 inches (12-33mm) and diameter is from 12 microns to 17 microns. American upland and Peruvian cotton etc. are the example of mediumstaple.

(c)  Short staple: Short staple cotton fibre is low grade coarser fibre, low strength no or little luster. This type of fibre has a length from o.375 inches to 1 inches (9-26mm) and diameter is from 13microns to 22microns. Asiatic cotton and Indian cotton are the good example of short staple cotton.