A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON PARAMETERS USED FOR CHARACTERIZING COTTON SHORT FIBERS

The quantity of short cotton fibers in a cotton sample is an important cotton quality parameter which impacts yarn production performance and yarn quality. Researchers have proposed different parameters for characterizing the amount of short fibers in a cotton sample. A comprehensive study was carried out to compare various short fiber parameters reported in the literature. The comparisons were focused on: the variations of these parameters, their relationships with the traditional Short Fiber Content (SFC), and their capabilities in predicting yarn properties. The advantages of the new short fiber parameter – Lower Half Mean Length – are discussed.