Description
Cotton is a seed fiber grown as a protective case around the seed of the cotton plant. Known to be the most popular fiber in the world, it is soft and fluffy to the touch and is usually off-white in color
Story
Drived from the Arabic word"Kutan", cotton has been grown for more than 6000 years. First found woven in cloth around 3000BC in Pakistan, it was then brought to Europe in about 800 AD by Arabic merchants and by 1500 was known throughout the world.
Manufacturing
Conventional cotton requires extremely high moisture levels, resulting from rainfall or irrigation during growing season, and a warm,dry season during the picking period. Picked cotton will go through grinning to seperate the fibers from the seeds.
Significant ecological and social impact caused by large-scale intensive production is a great concern in the industry.
Potential impact
High-global demand for cotton encourages large-scale intensive production. This requires a high usage of toxic chemicals and huge water consumption.
Seed fiber:
11-22 microns
10-65 mm
Characteristics
class of cotton
The grade of cotton depends on cleanliness, whiteness, fiber lenghth, and fiber strength,but a longer staple usually indicates higher quality with a smoother hand feel:
STAPLE | LENGTH | CHARACTERISTIC |
Extra long | >65mm | Thin long smooth soft and glossy |
Long | 30-65mm | Smooth and soft |
Medium | 20-30mm | more abundant |
Short | <20mm | Thick short and coarse |
EXTRA LONG STAPLE
Supima from America, Sea Island cotton from the Caribbean and Giza cotton from Egypt are cottons with the highest qualities. They are all extra-long staple and very soft to the touch
Sustainable options
Organic cotton and color cotton are some sustainalbe options that have been promoted to replace conventional cotton. with fewer synthetic argricultural chemicals and less water usage.