Effect of alkali treatment of lower concentrations on the structure and tensile properties of Pakistan’s coarse cotton fibre

Abstract

Cotton fibres of high Micronaire values are known to have inferior spinning performance. Either reduction of fibres’ fineness or increase in tensile strength is generally expected to improve the spinnability of fibres. In this piece of research, the effects of alkali treatment at lower concentrations (0.75–2.25M) and higher temperatures (70–100 °C) on the cross-section of cotton fibre and on the tensile strength have been investigated. Observations were made using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and single fibre tensile strength testing. It was found that the roundness of the fibre cross section was improved and the tensile strength of the fibres also increased after treatment with alkali at lower concentration (0.75 M) and relatively lower temperature (70 °C). It is proposed that such changes occurred due to possible cellulose dissolution/transformations. It was thus concluded that the alkali treatment of cotton fibres at lower concentrations (0.75 M) and 70 °C for a shorter period of time (45 mins) could lead to improvement in tensile strength and roundness of fibre cross-section, thereby improving micronaire.

Keywords:

• Micronaire
• spinning potential
• alkali treatment
• cellulose dissolution
• single fibre tensile strength

Acknowledgement

The authors express their profound gratitude to the Management of Amna Industries Private Limited, Karachi, Pakistan, for providing the cotton samples for this research work. The authors also give their thanks to Mr. Algy Kazlauciunas, Laboratory Manager (School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, UK), for his assistance in the examination of cotton fibres in the scanning electron microscopy. The authors gratefully acknowledge NED University of Engineering & Technology for moral support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.