Variation in Surface Chemical Constituents of Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) Fiber as a Function of Maturity

Modern cotton yarn production technology has made it imperative that new predictors of yarn spinning efficiency be determined. Surface frictional forces play a large role in spinning efficiency, yet little is known about the chemical constituents comprising the cotton fiber surface or their respective roles in inter-fiber frictional behavior. Major cotton fiber surface chemical components including pectin, wax, soluble salts, and sugars were quantified, and their respective relationships to cotton fiber maturity, as measured by micronaire, determined for 87 cotton samples exhibiting large variations in age, micronaire, genetics, and growing region. In the case of pectin and wax, inverse relationships with micronaire were found, whereas salts and sugars exhibit linear relationships with micronaire. Using these mathematical relationships, it will be possible to develop predictive models of whether spinning performance of different cottons is affected by deviations of the chemical constituents from the determined relationships.