Deconstructing Cotton's Fibers

摘要: Defects in processed cotton fabrics resulting from lint fiber imperfections cost US textile makers millions annually. Now researchers are closing in on the biochemical bases for cotton lint's success as a durable, widely used natural plant fiber. This may help them further improve strength, uniformity, and other fiber properties desired by textile and clothing makers.The scientists--working with Glycozyme, Inc., of Irvine, California--are modeling lint fiber's biochemical and physiological development in cotton bolls. Using samples collected from California, Mississippi, and South Carolina cottonfields, they're compiling data to show how environmental factors like day length, drought, or temperature changes affect fiber properties--especially imperfections like variable fiber thickness that can plague lint processing.