Cotton

Cotton is the most versatile, widely available and used textile fibre for clothing. Different qualities of cotton are available but they can be grouped mainly into three

Long staple cotton -    This is the best quality which goes up to about 55mm in staple length. Long staple cotton is the finest, softest and strongest cotton. Most expensive type and used for finest type of fabrics and sewing threads.

Medium staple cotton – This is about 25mm long, not as fine, soft or strong as long staple but cheap and available in plenty. The large percentage of world’s available clothing cotton fabrics are made from this.

Short staple cotton- This is less than 25mm long, coarser and harsher than the above mentioned types. Short staple cotton is used in cheap fabrics and those which do not need softness. This type has fashion appeal with the Ethnic look.

Cotton fibres are short, fine and straight suitable for convenient machine handling when converted into yarns. Unique combination of length, fineness and strength possessed long staple cottons enable to exceed fine yarn, light cotton fabrics which are strong and durable the versatile strength and fineness enables to produce a wide range of fabrics in light, medium and heavy weight. In addition to the purity of fibre, cotton can be boiled or sterilised without disintegration it is resistant to damage by alkalis so that severe laundering treatments can be withstood. It has a good resistance to heat so that abnormal care in ironing, pressing drying is not necessary. The chemical stability enables to produce some specific properties like water-repellence, flame resistance, crease resistance, drip-dry resistance, and weather and rot resistance and permanent set properties. It has a good affinity for dyes and the fibre can be made available in different colours.

Having mentioned the positive aspect of cotton it is required to go through the draw backs also.

Lack of resilience – Cotton has very little elasticity and fibre does not resist deformation so they tend to crease easily and do not give much in wear.

Flammability- cotton readily burns and capable enough to carry the flame -Flannelette and Winceyette are dangerous.

To overcome the disadvantages chemical measures can be made but it is expensive and easily handling nature and softness of the fabric will be adversely affected.

Most of the available cotton fabrics do not need extra care or attention. Cotton can be washed safely and cotton fabrics do not need drying or finishing treatments after washing. Cotton also has reasonable durability in wear.

At present China is the leading producer of cotton, India stand second.