An Instrument for Determining the Average Fiber Linear Density (Fineness) of Cotton Lint Samples

No satisfactory technology has emerged for routine rapid measurement of fiber linear density at commercial speed for the cotton industry. This paper introduces the Cottonscan TM instrument, a new technology designed to undertake this task. An inter-laboratory trial of the Cottonscan TM system to ascertain the performance of the technology is described. Overall, the 95% confidence limit for a single measurement was estimated to be ±10.4 mtex. Further, spinning trial results have confirmed that unlike the Micronaire value, average fiber linear density obtained from the Cottonscan TM correlate well with measured yarn properties. These data indicate that the Cottonscan TM instrument can be usefully employed to determine average fiber linear density, an important fiber quality parameter which can be a useful additional tool for the spinner in predicting yarn properties.