Before we talk about the process of picking and processing cotton, I want to clarify that cotton is the fiber that covers the seeds of the cotton plant (plant). And in the technical literature, cotton has its own term - cotton fiber.

Briefly about cotton

Cotton is a very demanding plant. For successful germination it needs a hot climate and a lot of moisture. Since in hot climates the ground cannot be wet, irrigation canals are created that strictly regulate the water supply more info.

Today we know about 35 types of cotton, but only two types are of industrial interest: http://bayareanewstalk.com/map192

• Medium staple cottonhas a ripening period of 130-140 days from the date of sowing and produces fiber 25-35 millimeters long;
• Fine Staple Cotton has a longer ripening period and lower yield. But its fibers are 35-45 millimeters long, it is thinner and stronger than medium-fiber. Fine fiber is used to make yarn High Quality therefore, its price is higher.

Cotton growing process

The first cotton seedlings after sowing are observed after 7-10 days. With the appearance of the first shoots over the next 35-40 days, the cotton plant grows, fruiting branches are formed, which will ripen until the first flower opens for about another 30 days. Cotton blooms for only one day, after which another 50-60 days will pass until the first bolls appear in which seeds are formed. As the seeds ripen, fibers appear on their surface in the form of thin-walled tubes http://barbarocardiology.com/?map192.

read more At first, the fibers grow in length to a maximum and only in the last month of ripening cellulose is deposited on the walls of the fibers. The first to ripen are the boxes on the lower branches of the bush. At the end of the ripening period, the fibers on the seeds take the form of twisted, flattened ribbons, inside of which there is a channel. As it matures, the channel narrows due to an increase in the thickness of the fiber walls.

http://mountaingoattrail.org/map192 Only ripened raw cotton, in which the fibers have not yet separated from the seeds, should be collected. The approximate ratio of fibers and seeds in the collection will be 40% to 60%, respectively. If the crop is harvested earlier, it will be unsuitable for textile production, since unripe fibers are not strong, but in overripe ones, on the contrary, the fibers are thick and have high strength, but they are very tough.

Raw cotton collection

click the following article Harvesting raw cotton is not an easy task. It is collected both by people - manually, and by special combines - cotton pickers. How cotton is picked does not matter, the main thing is to take into account that a person will collect 70-80 kilograms of raw cotton per shift, and a machine will collect about four tons.

From raw cotton to yarn

continue reading After harvesting, the raw materials are sent to the cotton gin plant. At the factory, the cotton fibers are only separated from the seeds and pressed into bales. And only then they are sent to spinning factories. Work in factories begins with the inspection and weighing of each bale. Then the raw material is subjected to loosening, mixing and beating.

By loosening bales of tightly compressed cotton, it is divided into small fibers and cleansed from debris. Then all the fibers from different batches are mixed together to obtain raw materials that are homogeneous in properties. Fraying promotes further loosening and cleaning of the fibers. Canvas is a loose fibrous mass obtained after loosening and fraying and fed to carding machines for final cleaning and separation into individual fibers.

Carding machines turn cotton into a sliver of uneven thickness. To equalize the thickness, several tapes are folded into one and pulled out, resulting in a tape equal to the original thickness, but more even. Now all that remains is to straighten and make the fibers of the tape parallel.

Before sending cotton strips to weaving factories, it is still necessary to bring the thickness of the raw material to the thickness of the yarn. This work is already done by drawing, roving and spinning machines. After which the cotton yarns are sent to weaving factories.

What is made from cotton?

Cotton is a very popular natural raw material all over the world. It is used in different areas, but not all of it is the same:

• Fine Staple Cotton. It is processed into smooth and fine combed yarn. In production, it is used to produce high-quality cotton fabrics such as cambric and voile;
• Medium Staple Cotton goes into the production of chintz, calico and satin. The fluff of short fibers not suitable for spinning production is used for furniture, clothing and medical wool;
• Down and down cotton also used in the chemical industry. Films, artificial fibers and threads, varnishes and even explosives are made from them. Non-woven towels are also produced from fibers that are unsuitable for spinning.

From yarn to fabric

Weaving is an equally light manufacturing process that results in an unsightly, harsh fabric that requires further finishing.

The cotton finishing process consists of several stages:

1. 1. singeing. The raw fabric is singed to remove single protruding fibers. The surface of the fabric is cleaned. Harsh fabric for the production of gauze and terry fabrics is not singed.
   2. Removing sizing. Having eliminated single fibers, they begin to remove the adhesive composition (size), which is applied during the weaving process. Then washed in cold water and boiled to remove fatty, waxy substances and starch residues. To obtain white fabric, it is necessary to carry out a bleaching operation.
   3. Napping and mercerization. After bleaching, the fabric is sent to a further finishing stage:
      1. Nappingmust be carried out to obtain a bike or flannel. As a result of napping, a pile is formed on the front side of the fabric.
      2. MercerizationSatin or chintz is obtained by treating bleached fabric with a solution of caustic soda. This process gives the fabric shine, silkiness and strength.

Linen fabrics go straight to final finishing, the rest are either plain dyeing (dying the fabric in one color) or printing (dying the fabric in several colors with a pattern).

Designs on cotton fabrics are produced using machine printing. The number of colors used in the design is strictly proportional to the number of machine shafts.

Finishing is the process of applying a special composition to fabric. This process allows you to impart crease resistance, moisture absorption, water repellency and other properties to the fabric, depending on your needs.

Stretching is the process of aligning the width of the fabric.. During the widening process, distortions in the fabric are eliminated and bent threads are straightened.

Ironing is the final stage. The resulting fabric is ironed on steel rollers (calenders) with internal heating. It is then folded and packaged.

Reading time: 4 minutes

Cotton has always been held in high esteem in Rus'. Times are changing, and the desire of the domestic consumer to wear clothes made from natural fabric is only growing stronger from year to year, especially since the types of cotton fabrics today are quite diverse.

Cotton fabric is used for casual clothing, bedding, curtains and even furniture upholstery. Distinctive features, advantages, varieties, costs in the modern market of cotton fabrics are the subject of this article.

Cotton - natural material, obtained from ripened cotton inflorescences. If you take these white lumps in your hands, you can feel its softness, dryness, natural warmth and slight roughness.

Note. The quality of cotton is determined by the length of the fiber: short fiber has less value and is more affordable.

Stages of production technology

• Ripening (opening) of the fruit, manual collection.
• Sending raw cotton to the receiving point, weighing and storing.
• Processing at the factory. Using a special technique, the fibers are separated from the seeds and sorted by length.
• Pressing, sending finished cotton to the warehouse.
• Yarn production, then - different types cotton fabrics.

They are produced both from a pure resource and from a mixture of natural fiber with some other natural (linen) or synthetic (polyester, acetate, etc.) impurities. Chemical threads affect the characteristics of the material, making it more durable and less wrinkled.

GOST

All goals, basic principles and list of works, in accordance with international requirements, are set out in the current GOST 29298-2005. This standard is applicable to ready-made, raw cotton and mixed types of fabric, such as shirts or linen.

Types of weaves of cotton fabric

• Impeccable hygienic properties (perfectly absorb moisture and allow air to pass through, pleasant to the body).
• They have a healing effect. They are widely used in the medical field.
• High degree of strength.
• Excellent thermal conductivity.
• Reliability and practicality, the ability to withstand hundreds of washes.
• Slight shedding of sections.
• Slight opening of seams.
• Virtually no stretch.
• They dry quickly, are easy to wash and iron.
• They lay well, do not move, and are easy to cut.

Disadvantages of cotton fabrics

• They don't keep their shape.
• Wear is higher than synthetics.
• They don't warm up.
• They wrinkle a lot.
• They shrink after washing.

Note. Special treatment can make cotton fabrics less wrinkled and not subject to shrinkage.

Application

• Satin and cambric go to sewing robes, summer dresses and bedding.
• Diapers for newborns and baby vests, dresses and scarves, shirts and dressing gowns are made from chintz, and from velvet - fancy suits, blouses, trousers, fleece - insulated underwear, pajamas and clothes for the home.
• Kulirka and interlock are widely used for sewing children's rompers, sets, underwear, shirts, T-shirts and tracksuits, and footer is used for making sweaters, turtlenecks and sweatshirts.
• Flannel is suitable for the production of things for newborns: diapers, rompers, vests, scratchies and caps.
• Creton is usually used for furniture upholstery, while diftin is used for sewing outerwear.

How to distinguish cotton from other natural fabrics?

• When it burns, it emits white smoke and smells like burnt paper. Then, besides the ash, there is nothing left. Flax burns in a similar way. However, the smoldering is much worse. Wool burns slowly, sinteres into a ball, and its smell is similar to burnt hair.
• Natural cotton is soft and warm and wrinkles very much when compressed. Linen feels hard and cool to the touch, and looks smooth and shiny. The wool is a little itchy and does not wrinkle at all.

Price overview

On the modern market you can purchase cotton fabrics not only of domestic but also foreign origin. The cost depends on the quality and appearance.
So, 100% cotton from America will cost from 700 rubles. per linear meter, similar fabric from Italy - from 430 rubles, from Korea - from 300 rubles. In Russia, you can buy cotton fabric (for example, printed calico) - from 70 rubles. per p.m.

Thus, we figured out what kind of cotton fabric it is. Natural cotton fabric – right choice people who care about the health of the whole family, especially young children.

Evgeniy Sedov

When your hands grow from the right place, life is more fun :)

Content

Matter made from plant fibers is called cotton or cotton fabric. It is distinguished by the fact that the textile fabric is pleasant to the body, does not irritate the skin, and does not cause allergies. As a result of progress and many years of experience in creating this material, many ways to process it have been created, which is why a large number of different types of cotton-based fabrics.

What is cotton fabric

Cotton was a discovery for humanity. Clothing began to be made from the fibers of this plant a very long time ago. Cotton is a hollow plant cell whose maximum length reaches 60 mm. It develops from cotton seed, that is, it is the fruit of the plant. Cotton yarn, depending on the length and quality of the fibers, according to GOST is divided into 3 types:

• short-fiber;
• medium fiber;
• fine-fiber.

The raw material is something similar to cotton wool. At first, cotton was collected by hand; with the development of technology, special combines were created, which significantly increased the speed of work. The main things that are made from cotton:

• materials;
• cotton wool;
• cottonseed oil;
• gossypol (used in medicine);
• powder.

Production of cotton fabrics

Cotton fibers are hidden in a boll, which opens when ripe and the contents become visible. There may be seeds on the fibers, so after collection, everything is carefully sorted at the factory and unnecessary elements are eliminated. The main stages of working with cotton:

1. Collection of cotton fibers.
2. Seed separation.
3. Sorting into three groups: for fabric (length - 20 mm), lint or fluff (from 5 to 20 mm) and delint or down (less than 5 mm).
4. The fibers are pressed to form yarn.
5. The yarn can be dyed or remain in this form until the fabric is made.
6. Cotton fabric is made from these threads.

Types of cotton fabrics

There are several ways in which cotton fabric is classified. One is based on the composition of fibers - the components from which yarn for cotton products is made. Basically, the thread consists of cotton, but other components can be added: natural (organic), artificial or synthetic. Another option for creating types of materials is based on the way the threads are intertwined. Another classification is based on the method of processing fibers and fabric.

Compound

Other components may be added to the yarn at the manufacturing stage. Although pure, organic cotton is considered the best, the following types of fibers are now often included:

• flax is a natural fiber of plant origin;
• viscose - artificial, obtained from the processing of cellulose;
• polyester – synthetic polyester fibers;
• acrylic - synthetic obtained from natural gas;
• acetate - fibers made from cellulose and chemical reagents.

Weaving threads

There are several ways to weave threads. The first option is plain weave: the threads are evenly laid on top of each other, that is, one goes through the other. At the same time, the cotton fabric is even, smooth and durable. The main types of fabric of this weave:

1. Batiste is a thin, translucent cotton fabric made from twisted yarn. It is used for the production of underwear, blouses, dresses, and handkerchiefs.
2. Calico is thick cotton, artificial fibers can be added. Goes for tailoring bed linen, dresses and linings.
3. Voile is a very thin cotton that is transparent; it is used to make decorative hats, scarves, curtains, veils, dresses, and blouses.
4. Marquisette is a thin, light, even airy material from which summer clothes, bed linen, and curtains are made.
5. Calico is a tough material, the threads are not bleached. Based on this cotton material, others are produced: muslin, chintz, oilcloth, leatherette. Can be used for upholstery.
6. Muslin is light and thin; dresses and curtains are made from it.
7. Poplin is a dense double-sided material with a small rib. Shirts, dresses, tablecloths, and bed linen are made from it.
8. Sarpinka is lightweight material, also called canvas. The pattern is in the form of stripes or checks, similar to chintz. Dresses, blouses, and skirts are made from sarpinka.
9. Chintz is light, produced during the manufacture of calico. They sew shirts, dresses, bed linen, and clothes for children.
10. Taffeta is a dense material with a glossy sheen. It is rigid, so you can make lush draperies and create voluminous silhouettes: Wedding Dresses, blouses, skirts.

There is also a twill weave of threads: an asymmetrical connection of threads, when there is an alternation of one through two or one through three. This cotton material is very heavy and dense, and there may be ridges that create a certain texture. This material is often used to make linings for clothing or various types of draperies. Types of materials with this weave of threads:

1. Bumazeya is a warm, thick and very soft cotton fabric with a fleece on the reverse side. Shirts, dresses, and thermal underwear are made from it.
2. Denim is a very dense and tough material from which jeans were first made. It is used to make: curtains, skirts, jackets, overalls.
3. Flannel is a soft but dense material with fleece, pile (one-sided or two-sided). Previously, soldiers' foot wraps were made from it, now - shirts and clothes for newborns.
4. Tartan is a cotton material with a large check pattern. They sew from it: kilts, suits, trousers, skirts, dresses, school uniforms.

Satin is a material that is made using a special type of thread connection called “satin weave”: the weft threads are directed horizontally to each other and vertically to the warp threads. The fabric is smooth, silky, dense, and has a shine. Outwardly it looks like silk. It is used to make: shirts, dresses, dressing gowns, linings, shoes. Diftin or cretonne have the same weave, but they are denser fabrics from which furniture upholstery and outerwear for demi-seasons are sewn.

To make velvet, a pile weave is used, when an additional third thread is introduced into the fabric being made. The fabric has a short pile on the front side, it is soft and pleasant when you run it with your hand. They make it out of him elegant dresses, jackets, jackets, curtains and various home textiles. To produce a flannel (or footer), the double-face weaving technique is used, when three systems of threads are used. The fabric is fleecy, dense and soft. It is used to make warm underwear, women's, children's and home clothes.

To make an interlock, a special type of weave is used - crossing. This is a dense knitwear, pleasant to the touch, its surface is smooth, there is no difference between the back and the front side. Made from material tracksuits, clothes for men. Another type of cotton knitwear is kulirka (smooth fabric with braids on the front side and bricks on the back). Such cotton fabric stretches in width and almost does not change in length and does not wrinkle. This is the thinnest cotton knitwear, the clothes are light and airy: dresses, skirts, blouses.

Finishing

Cotton fabrics differ not only in the method of weaving threads and composition, but also in the type of finishing, which consists of certain chemical and physical actions in relation to the cotton material. After these manipulations the material has improved appearance, becomes soft and durable. Cotton finishing comes in the following types:

1. Gray is untreated cotton fabric, simply taken off the loom.
2. Bleached – the material is lightened using bleaches.
3. Plain dyed – fabric dyed in one color.
4. Printed - this material is plain, but a design is printed on it.
5. Multi-colored - this material is made by weaving multi-colored threads.
6. Melange - fabric made of fibers different colors as if speckled.

Properties of cotton fabric

The main advantages of cotton fabrics are their hypoallergenicity, tactile pleasure, and environmental friendliness. In addition, they have other advantages:

1. Air permeability - thanks to the method of weaving the threads and the structure of the fibers themselves, air can freely penetrate through clothing, and heat exchange is good.
2. Hygroscopicity is the ability of matter to absorb moisture, which indicates a comfortable feeling in the heat when a person sweats, and the greenhouse effect is not created. Wet cotton can expand by another 40%, becoming more elastic and durable than when dry.
3. Lightness, softness - a person feels comfortable in these clothes, they fit close to the body and do not hinder movements.
4. Does not cause itching or any manifestations of allergies.
5. Durability - can withstand greater loads than wool, comparable only to silk.
6. Warmth retention - warms well, although the material is light and thin. This happens due to the fact that the cotton fiber inside is hollow, so it traps air.
7. Thermoplasticity - when heated, cotton seems to remember its shape and subsequently holds it.

There are also disadvantages to cotton fabrics. These disadvantages include the following:

1. Rotting, if there is a favorable environment for various microorganisms.
2. Sensitivity to light and heat - after prolonged exposure to sunlight or when high temperatures the density decreases by half.
3. Sensitivity to alkalis and acids (inorganic) - when washing, you cannot use aggressive agents, but you can use mercerization for processing (quick treatment of the fabric with a solution of concentrated soda, after which it is washed in hot or cold water), then the material will not be damaged.
4. It wrinkles, so synthetic fibers are often added to it or improved through impregnations and treatments.
5. Doesn't stretch well and gets deformed.

What is sewn from cotton?

Based on their application, cotton fabrics are divided into household and technical. The first type makes up 80% of all materials; they are intended for sewing clothes. Among this type of fabrics there are decorative ones, which are used for making curtains, drapes, upholstery, handkerchiefs, and towels. These are not all areas of application of such material; summer flannelette blankets, tablecloths, bedspreads, gauze, etc. are made from it. Materials intended for technical purposes are divided into two categories: packaging and containers.

Price

In large cities, such as Moscow or St. Petersburg, you can find cotton fabric in many specialized retail stores. There you can go to a sale where the purchase will be made at a reduced cost. In the online store, all kinds of promotions and discounts are very common, so you can buy goods there inexpensively. Many sites offer free shipping by mail or courier. Approximate price for cotton fabric in Moscow:

How to distinguish cotton from other natural fabrics

There are several types of natural fabrics. The main point on how to distinguish cotton fabric is to test for combustion:

1. The smell of burnt paper appears, and the flame has yellow. When smoldering, white smoke is produced.
2. Flax burns similarly, but smolders much worse.
3. The wool burns more slowly, while crackling and forming into a black ball. The smell of the wool is similar to burnt hair.
4. Silk burns like wool, but at the same time it has a specific, pronounced odor.

There are also other ways to recognize cotton, they are based on tactile sensations:

Discuss

Cotton fabric: types and composition

Cotton fabrics are widely used and are in great demand. Now that artificial fibers and materials are becoming more common, natural composition is especially valued. Such materials of natural origin include cotton fabrics. There are a huge number of them, they are all different special properties and benefits. In the article we will look at the features of cotton as a raw material for cotton fabrics, consider the main varieties of this textile material, and find its best manufacturers.

Description

Cotton is grown in Central Asia, Egypt, India, China, the USA and other countries. But it began to be used for the production of clothing and textiles relatively recently - only in the 19th century. What are the characteristics of cotton fiber and materials made from it?

First of all, we note that cotton is completely natural fabric. It is produced from cotton fruits through special processing of the original raw materials.

The quality of the final fabric largely depends on the length of the original fiber: the longer the “raw”, unprocessed fibers, the better and denser the fabric will be. Fabrics can be made entirely from cotton alone or using other fibers.

The most commonly used additives include:

• acetate (here);
• viscose (read,);
• polyester and other man-made fibers (here).

These additives give the final fabric elasticity, resistance to deformation, shine and other pleasant properties.

Types of weaves

Cotton threads can be woven in different ways. The density of the product, its softness/hardness and other nuances depend on the type of weave.

The most popular and frequently used types of weaves include:

• twill;

  

• linen;

  

• finely patterned;

  

• satin.

  

• With fleece. In this case, the surface of the canvas is specially processed. The result is warm material with a fluffy top layer. This fabric is often used for sewing warm clothes, thermal underwear, and ski suits. Here about cotton fabric with fleece.

Finishing of cotton fabrics

What types of external finishing are used for cotton fabrics?

• Severe. This is a canvas without finishing. That is, it is not dyed, not bleached, not softened. Other manipulations that give the fabric additional positive properties have not been carried out. Most often, such material has a characteristic grey colour and rough to the touch.
• Bleached. The canvas has been bleached, but is still rough.

  

• Plain painted. In this case, the canvas is bleached and dyed.

  

• Multicolored. Multi-colored fabrics with patterns.

  

• Melange. A fabric woven from threads of different colors intertwined with each other. The result is a very original print, especially suitable for ethnic clothing.

  

• With printed pattern. In this case, the design is not woven initially, but is applied on top of an already woven fabric by printing.

  

  How to use

  For which products are cotton fabrics most often used?

  • Bed sheets. For this purpose they usually use soft fabrics, for example: satin, chintz, calico, for children's underwear - flannel. Cotton bed linen has high quality characteristics: it is natural, pleasant to the body, absorbs moisture well and is not too expensive.

    

  • Lightweight textile. This includes: dresses, blouses, shirts, sundresses, etc. All the positive characteristics of such clothing are the same as those of bed linen. Even in such outfits it is not hot in the summer.

    

  • Outerwear. Jackets, windbreakers, raincoats and coats are made from cotton fabrics. Sportswear, working and special purpose. This category includes different shape, tracksuits, etc.

    

    outerwear

  • Home textiles. Curtains, tablecloths, curtains and other textiles are often made from cotton fabrics.

    

    home textiles

  The advantages of such fabric

  Let's look at the benefits of cotton fabrics.

  • Excellent hygroscopicity. The big advantage of cotton fabrics is that they absorb moisture well. That is why they are widely used for sewing summer clothes, bed linen, towels and children's clothing.
  • Breathability. Cotton fabrics “breathe”. Cotton clothes are pleasant to wear; they will help out in any circumstances: in the summer heat, at home, and to create an office look.
  • Strength. Cotton fabrics do not deform too much and behave well when washed and dried. The strength and stability of cotton fiber is enhanced by artificial additives. Cotton fabric is weak in stretching and shrinking. Cotton fabrics tolerate repeated washing, ironing and other care procedures quite well, for a long time without losing its characteristics.
  • Cotton makes the product light. In addition, this lightness is often combined with the thinness of the product. It is thanks to these properties that bed linen, underwear, and children's clothing are so often made from cotton.
  • Cotton fabrics are easy to process. They are easy to process when cutting and sewing, and are “pleasant to deal with.” The sections of the canvas do not crumble, which is very convenient when working. The fabrics are pleasant to the touch and evoke positive tactile sensations. The material looks aesthetically pleasing. If the cotton fabric is of a noble shade and dense, an outfit made from it can look very stylish and modern.

  In the video, clothes made from cotton fabric:

  Minuses

  Let us list some of the disadvantages of this fabric.

  • Cotton wrinkles. This is a worry for many women. After all, you want your outfit to look perfect all day long, but this doesn’t happen with cotton. Especially in the summer heat.
  • Cotton fabrics are prone to shrinkage. This is especially true for denim. Many have noticed, more than once, how much tighter their favorite jeans become after washing.

  Kinds

  Let's look at the most widely used types of cotton fabrics and their characteristics.

  Satin

  Fabric with excellent appearance and increased strength. Often used for sewing bed linen. The fabric has a soft, noble shine. Here is how much satin fabric costs.

  

  Batiste

  Thin and beautiful fabric, tender and soft. They used to sew from cambric women's dresses, made handkerchiefs and bed linen. Often cambric products are equipped with lace trim and sewing. This material can also have a translucent texture.

  

  Batiste- a rather expensive and delicate fabric that requires careful and delicate care. The cambric material is more suitable for summer time, since it has “cooling” properties and is quite thin.

  Poplin

  

  Chintz

  Probably the thinnest of all cotton materials. Everyone is familiar with chintz bedding and underwear. Most often, chintz comes in delicate colors, with a predominance of light colors. This painting was one of the most popular in the USSR.

  

  Dresses, linen, and even curtains were made from chintz. Its big advantage is its low cost. This is the most inexpensive of all cotton fabrics.

  Velvet

  This is also cotton material. Very pleasant to the touch, dense. It has a slightly fleecy, “fluffy” surface and is very warm.

  

  Calico

  Cotton fabric used primarily for sewing bed linen. It is 100% cotton in a standard plain weave. Calico is denser than chintz, so products made from this material are more expensive. It has excellent hygroscopicity, lasts a long time and does not deform. See.

  This is a completely “homey”, informal material created specifically for a feeling of comfort. It's hard to imagine a person wearing flannel sitting in an office somewhere.

  Bike

  This fabric is similar to flannel. The yarn is also fluffy and pleasant to the touch. In addition, it is very warm. This material is also referred to as “combed,” meaning delicate fluffy pile.

  

  Used for sewing children's clothing, thermal underwear, home clothes, is also used for making linings for warm outerwear.

  Jacquard

  This is a cotton fabric with an original relief pattern and texture. Jacquard is a very dense, heavy material, most often used for the production of home textiles (curtains, curtains, upholstery of upholstered furniture), as well as for the production of car covers.

  

  These are not all types. There are many more of them, only those that are most often used in our country are given here.

  Manufacturers and prices

  Let's look at what modern manufacturers offer cotton materials best quality at the best price.

  Let's start with Chinese-made canvas, since now materials and products from this country are used almost all over the world. They produce Chinese brands and cotton fabrics. There is a huge assortment, a wide selection of colors, options, and other important nuances.

  American manufacturers price their products much more expensive. So, a square meter of poplin with a beautiful bright color will cost 990 rubles. You can find American cotton materials for 800 rubles/sq m.

  Fabrics from Poland are distinguished by classic, discreet colors and reasonable prices. So, a square meter of calico, suitable for sewing beautiful and high-quality bed linen, will cost 580 rubles. If the print is no longer so relevant, you can buy Polish material for 300 rubles/sq. m.

  Attention: yes interesting way check the authenticity and naturalness of the cotton product. To do this, you need to set fire to one thread. If the material is real, the thread will burn with the smell of paper and white smoke. And as a result of foreign impurities, the smoke turns out to be darker and more “aromatic”, with an admixture of artificial, chemical odors.

  We looked at the features of cotton fabrics. And as we were able to see, there are a huge number of options for fabrics with cotton - each with its own distinctive features and advantages, and intended use. We advise you to purchase cotton fabrics from trusted manufacturers who pay attention to quality - in this case, you will definitely buy excellent material, the product from which will delight you for a long time.

Cotton is a soft, fluffy fiber that grows in the seed pod, the fruit of the cotton plant. Cotton is a plant of the mallow family, up to 2 m high. It is distributed in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world, including America, Asia and Africa.

Cotton fiber is most often spun into yarn or thread, which is used to produce soft, breathable fabric, which is currently the most widely used in the textile industry in the manufacture of bedding products such as pillows, mattress covers, etc.

After flowering (the flowers are yellow, cream or white), the cotton plant forms a fruit - a boll with 3-5 nests, each containing 5-11 seeds. Each seed develops several thousand white (less often cream, beige, greenish and other colors) hairs - fibers up to 5 cm long. Each fiber is a separate cell. These fibers covering the cotton seed are called cotton.

Chemical composition of cotton:

• cellulose 91.00%

• water 7.85%

• protoplasm, pectin 0.55%

• waxes, fatty substances 0.40%

• mineral salts 0.20%

In the Russian language of the 19th century. cotton was usually called cotton paper. The words have been preserved to this day cotton industry, cotton fabric. In works of Russian classical literature one can find, for example, references to the fact that this or that character was wearing a paper cap - this does not mean at all that he was wearing a cap made of paper, it means that the cap was made of cotton fabric.

Harvesting cotton using cotton pickers

When the cotton fruit ripens, the boll opens and the fiber and seeds collected by pickers or cotton pickers. Cotton harvesting is usually done in two stages as the bolls open. Some of the boxes that do not open until late autumn remain on the bushes. In Central Asia, such boxes are called kurak. They are removed during the third selection.

Delivery of cotton to a cotton collection point

The fiber collected together with the seeds is called raw cotton. Raw cotton contains approximately 30-40% fiber and 60-70% seeds by weight (some proportion may also include impurities and dirt).

Raw cotton is stored on the farm or transported (as is customary, for example, in Central Asia) to cotton collection point- a specially equipped enterprise where cotton is weighed and stored on dry, leveled areas in the form of huge cubes, which are then covered with tarpaulin or film. Cotton collection points usually serve several cotton farms. Here raw cotton waits its turn to be sent to cotton gin plant.

When raw cotton is delivered to a cotton collection point, it is usually bought and sold: it passes from the ownership of the farm to the ownership of the organization that operates this point. IN Soviet time delivery of raw cotton to a cotton collection point meant delivery of cotton by the farm to the state. Therefore, it was the weight of delivered raw cotton that was considered the most important reporting indicator (while in international practice, cotton production is recorded based on cotton fiber).

Cleaning cotton at a cotton gin plant and obtaining cotton fiber.

Several cotton collection points are usually associated with one cotton gin plant(the plant may also have its own cotton collection point). The plant carries out gradual processing of the crop, and, as production capacity is freed up, more and more raw cotton is brought here from receiving points located in the zone of influence of the plant. At the plant, using special machines (gins, linters, etc.), the fibers are separated from the seeds, as well as the fibers are separated along their length (a process that could be compared to the separation of hydrocarbons into fractions in oil refineries). The longest hairs - longer than 20-25 mm are called fiber. This is cotton fiber, the very product for which data is usually provided in world statistics. Cotton fiber goes mainly to textile enterprises.

For medium-fiber cotton varieties The fiber length is usually considered to be from 25 mm, for fine fiber (most valuable)- from 37 mm. From fine-fiber long fibers, cotton bed linen of the highest quality is subsequently produced, characterized by increased strength, lightness, smoothness, which does not “dust” and does not “fluff”. The online store "Geufroy" presents the brands Saylid, TAC (Touch), Karven (Karven); mid-price category made from high-quality satin, as well as luxury cotton underwear made from satin from Turkish (Pierre Cardin - from Pierre Cardin, Home Sweet Home, TAC Delux, Tivolyo delux) and Chinese manufacturers (Famille delux, Kingsilk delux).

More short hairs are called, depending on their length lint, cyclone-fluff, lint etc. They are sent to the cotton production, as well as for the production of explosives (gunpowder, etc.). Since the yield of finished products (cotton fiber) from raw materials (raw cotton) is relatively low (less than half), cotton gins are almost always located in cotton-growing areas(that is, they focus on raw materials), raw cotton is never transported over long distances. Unlike, for example, wool, which can be transported in an unrefined (unwashed) form over very long distances - to areas of consumption. In international statistics, therefore, it is customary to keep records of wool production using the so-called unwashed wool (that is, as if raw wool), whereas Cotton accounting is carried out by cotton fiber.

The cotton gin plant is the top of the pyramid of the local cotton complex: The production connections of the territory it serves converge to it; here cotton is transformed from an agricultural raw material into a product taken into account by international statistics and listed on cotton exchanges. Connections for the supply of raw cotton converge here, like at the neck of an hourglass, and then from here the cotton fiber “scatters” in different directions.

The zones of influence of cotton ginning plants are, as a rule, stable: cotton from the same cotton collection points is brought to the plant from year to year, and to those, in turn, from the same surrounding farms. On the contrary, cotton ginning plants do not have stable ties in terms of sales of products: textile enterprises (or intermediary firms) in different years They purchase cotton of different quality from different factories depending on their needs.

A cotton ginnery usually has much fewer suppliers of raw materials than consumers (and the former, we repeat, are fixed, while the latter are unstable in composition).

Sending bales of cotton to finished product warehouses Cotton fiber is pressed into beautiful snow-white bales

and sent to the finished goods warehouse.

Lots of bales are classified and assessed by length, fineness (thinness, degree of thickness), strength and uniformity (sameness) of fibers.

In Soviet times, cotton gin plants directly supplied cotton fiber to dozens and hundreds of different textile enterprises in the country, depending on the needs of textile workers for one or another type of raw material. The supply system was regulated by the relevant ministries and departments. Currently, the promotion of Central Asian cotton to Russian textile enterprises is carried out through a chain of trading and intermediary companies not related to production.

Transformation of cotton into yarn -> into fabric -> into finished product (bed linen and other textiles)

Bales of cotton fiber coming from cotton gins or warehouses to textile enterprises go into spinning production - the transformation of individual fibers into a single continuous thread (yarn). The weaving process then turns the yarn into fabric. Finally, the clothing industry produces finished products - clothing, home textiles (curtains, etc.). Uses of Cotton Seeds Let's go back to

cotton gin plant

. More than half the weight of raw cotton coming for cleaning, as we remember, is seeds. In fact, cotton is purified from them. And what do they do with the cleaning? They contain up to 30% oil. These slightly pubescent lumps (it is usually not possible to clean the seed completely until it shines) are sent from the refinery to an oil extraction plant or oil and fat processing plant.
They get it from seeds

cottonseed oil, and on its basis soap, glycerin, margarine, and lubricants are produced.

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