How much do you know about cotton? So what are the main components of cotton?
93.87% cellulose, 1.52% pentosan, 0.87% nitrogen, 0.63% wax, fat, 3.30% water-soluble matter, 1.12% ash
Cotton species are mainly divided into four categories:
1. Upland cotton:
An annual herbaceous plant of the Malvaceae family, 0.6-1.5 meters high, with sparsely hairy branchlets.
The leaves are broadly ovate, the base is heart-shaped or heart-shaped truncated, the lobes are wide and triangular-ovate, the upper part is nearly hairless, the lower part is sparsely villous; the petiole is sparsely pubescent; the stipules are ovate-falcate. , early fall.
The flowers are solitary in the leaf axil, the pedicel is usually slightly shorter than the petiole, the capsule is oval, with a beak, and 3-4 cells; the seeds are separated, oval, with long white cotton hairs and gray-white short cotton hairs that are not easy to peel off. Flowering period is summer and autumn.
It has been widely cultivated in various cotton-producing areas across China, and has replaced tree cotton and grass cotton. Native to America and Mexico. It was introduced to China for cultivation at the end of the 19th century.
The fiber covered on the seeds of cultivated plants is a natural textile fiber with a wide range of uses. Upland cotton is named after it was first planted in the American continent. It is an important variety among the four major cotton cultivars in the world.
Upland cotton
2. Sea-island cotton
Sea-island cotton is the best cotton fiber in the world. It was successfully planted on Saint Simon Island in Georgia in 1786, so it was named ” Sea Island Cotton”. The excellent characteristics of sea-island cotton are that its fibers are very slender and extremely strong, making it a top-quality textile fiber. Clothes made of sea-island cotton have an excellent touch, good breathability and sweat-absorbing power. Moreover, due to the luster of sea-island cotton and its high affinity for dyes, the colors of the clothes are bright and vivid, which is by no means comparable to other cotton clothing.
Sea Island Cotton
Picking Sea Island Cotton
3. Asian Cotton
Asian cotton is a collective name for cotton species originating in Asia. This type of cotton is found throughout Asia, and its cultivation methods Various. Asian cotton, also known as tree cotton, is native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia. It is one of the earliest crops grown by humans and is also the ancestor of upland cotton, the most important economic cotton species in the world. Asian cotton pubescent. The leaves are palmately 5-lobed, usually wider than long, the flowers are solitary in the leaf axil, the capsule is oval, beaked, usually 3-4 cells, the seeds are large, separate, oblique-conical, with white long cotton hairs and short cotton hairs on the back. Flowering period is July-September. Produced in Guangdong, Yunnan, Sichuan, Gansu and Xinjiang provinces in China, they are all cultivated. Native to Arabia and Asia Minor. The plant is small and has a short growth period of about 130 days. It is very suitable for cultivation in northwest China, but the current planting area is not extensive.
Straw cotton
Cotton fabric advantages and benefits
1. Comfort: Humidity balance:
Pure cotton fiber can absorb moisture from the surrounding atmosphere, and its moisture content is 8-10% , feels soft but not stiff when touching the skin.
If the humidity increases and the surrounding temperature is high, all the moisture contained in the fiber will evaporate and dissipate, keeping the fabric in a water balance state and making people feel comfortable.
2. Warmth:
The thermal and electrical conductivity of cotton fiber is extremely low. The fiber itself is porous and highly elastic. The gaps between the fibers can accumulate a large amount of air (air is also a poor conductor of heat and electricity). High warmth retention.
3. Durability and processing resistance: (1) When the temperature is below 110°C, it will only cause the fabric moisture to evaporate and will not damage the fiber. Washing, printing and dyeing at room temperature will have no effect on the fabric, improving the quality of the fabric. Washable and wear-resistant.
(2) Cotton fiber is naturally resistant to alkali, and the fiber is not easily damaged by alkali, which is beneficial to the washing of clothing. Dyeing, printing and other processing techniques.
(3) Environmental protection: Cotton fiber is a natural fiber. Pure cotton fabrics do not cause any irritation when in contact with the skin and are beneficial to the human body.
