Fibre Category: Natural Cellulose Fibre

 Cotton is produced as a staple fibre  The cotton emblem is registered internationally. It identifies if textiles is made from pure cotton, which suggests good quality. In some cases it is applied to fibre blends.

 Non-static as it will always contain some moisture.  Absorbent which means it can absorb liquid very rapidly, containing up to 65% of its own weight without dripping.  Naturally breathable which means it is especially cool in the summer or generally in hotter climates.  Soft handle which means it has a soft touch.  Good drape which means it will hang well.  Because of its fibre fineness it is very comfortable to wear.  Cotton has a good strength, durability and abrasion resistance.  It is biodegradable and recyclable.

 Dries slowly.  Creases easily because it has very poor elasticity.

 Mercerising will make the fabric higher in strength.  Synthetic resin will give a non-iron or crease resistant finish, it will dry faster but will reduce the strength.  Stain resistant finish can be applied using Teflon or Silicone.  Flame retardant finishes can be applied using the Proban process.

 Polyester as it will reduce costs and is the cheapest blend.  Polyamide  Elastane as it will increase the stretch provided.  Acrylic  Modal  Viscose

 Calico- comes in various strengths/ weights i.e. medium, it is the cheapest form of cotton.  Corduroy  Denim  Gingham  Drill  Poplin  Brushed cotton  Velvet  Muslin  Seersucker CORDUROY CALICO DENIM GINGHAM DRILL POPLIN VELVET MUSLIN SEERSUCKER

 Shirts  Blouses  Nightwear  Underwear  Trousers  Jeans  Work wear  Awnings  Sewing thread  Tents  Curtains  Furniture covering  Bed sheets  Towels

 Best ironed damp  Can be tumble dried, but may shrink  Can be dry cleaned  Can be boiled and bleached  Machine washable

Harvesting Drying & Ginning Ring Spinning * Cotton uses lots of water because it is a dirty process, therefore must be cleaned. Quality control checks can be done to test this. Harvesting Cotton is either harvested by hand or machine. Drying & Ginning Newly harvested cotton seeds are wet so is dried using warm air. Ginning is the separation of the fibre from the seed, using machines. The seeds may be used as cattle feed. Ring Spinning Cotton fibres are mainly made into staple fibre yarns by ring spinning or OE rotor spinning.