Influence of Staple-Length Variations on the Spinning Performance and Yarn Quality of Cotton

Four natural mixes (each having 100 percent of one staple length), 7 blended mixes with an average staple length of thirty-four thirty-seconds of an inch, and 6 blended mixes with an average staple length of thirty-five thirty-seconds of an inch were established from cottons having all fiber properties, except staple length, within the smallest possible range to determine the influence of staple length and staple-length distribution on spinning performance and yarn quality. The test data showed that the blends with an average staple length of thirty-four thirty-seconds of an inch were equal to or better than the natural mix of the same staple length. However, the weighted average prices of these blends were less than the price of the natural mix; the price difference ranged from 0.29 to 0.84 cent per pound. Among the mixes with an average staple length of thirty-five thirty-seconds of an inch, the natural mix rated best, and it had the highest weighted average price. Generally, the mixes that performed best were those with the highest 2.5-percent span length and highest percentage of long fiber. The results from this study indicate that mixes can be obtained by blending over a range of staple lengths without having a detrimental effect on spinning performance and yarn quality. This information should be useful to researchers and textile-mill operators for determining the most efficient cotton mix and for indicating the relative use values of cottons of varying staple lengths and staple-length distributions.