Dependence of Stiffness and Strength of Cotton Fibers on Crystallite Orientation

Twenty-four varieties each of Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium arboreum species from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute's farms at New Delhi and its substation at Sirsa, respectively, were studied for their bundle strength on a Pressley strength tester using zero gauge length and for crystallite orientation using X-ray diffraction. The crystallite orientation was expressed in terms of 40% and 50% angles and the Hermans orientation factor; from the latter an average orientation angle α m was computed. Correlations between bundle strength and these orientation parameters were calculated.