Scientists at CSIRO Textile and Fibre Technology in Geelong have developed an instrument that more precisely measures the 'fineness' of ginned cotton fibres.
Research Program Leader, Dr Geoff Naylor, says the development of the 'Cottonscan' technology brings the Australian and international cotton industry significantly closer to meeting a longstanding commercial challenge.
"Fine fibres are needed to make high-premium lightweight fabrics but until now the industry's ability to accurately grade fibre in a cost-efficient way has presented a major problem," Dr Naylor says.
"Cottonscan can benefit both cotton growers and the textile industry by enabling high quality fine Australian cotton to be correctly graded and valued by the market."
"Additionally, an accurate knowledge of the fineness of cotton is expected to increase the productivity and profitability of the spinning sector of the world's textile industry."
Dr Naylor will present a paper on Cottonscan's development at the World Cotton Research Conference at Lubbock, Texas.
Now patented by CSIRO, Cottonscan weighs and counts a sample of short fragments of fibre and then calculates the average fibre weight-per-unit-length, or 'fineness', using modern optics and high-speed computer-based image analysis techniques.
Following a trial involving CSIRO, The Australian Cotton Research Institute (ACRI) and the Auscott Ltd Cotton Classing Office, the instrument has been proved to measure cotton fineness with precision.
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