Cotton: The Most Used Fiber in the World with a Rich History

Cotton holds the position of being the most used fiber in the world as well as the “number one fiber used for apparel in the United States” (Willbank). Cotton belongs to the same family of hibiscus and okra. Among cotton’s species are the American Upland Cotton, a low multi-branch shrub grown annually; the long fiber Egyptian and the Sea Island cottons botanically grown in Egypt and brought to the U. S. ; and the Pima, originally known as American-Egyptian cotton (Pakistan Cotton Ginners’ Association). The exact age of cotton is unknown. Scientists, however, found “fiber and ball fragments from the TehuacA?

n Valley of Mexico,” which they determined to be about 7000 years old. Cotton has been grown and used in India for more or less 5000 years (Pakistan Cotton Ginners’ Association). About 3000 years ago, it was “grown and made into cloth in the Indus River Valley in Pakistan (Willbanks), the same time Egyptians in the Nile Valley made and wore cotton clothing (“The Story of Cotton”). More than 1,300 years ago, Chinese emperor Ou-ti was recorded to have worn a cotton robe in his succession to the throne (Textile Exhange). In approximately 800 A. D. , Arab merchants brought cotton in Europe.

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In 1492, “Christopher Columbus found cotton in the Bahama Islands” (Willbanks). In 1607, cotton “was one of the earliest crops grown by European settlers” in Jamestown colony (Pakistan Cotton Ginners’ Association). In 1730, the first machinery to spin cotton was used in England. It was in 1793 when Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, a machine used to separate cotton fiber from the seed. This gin made the separation process 50 times faster than doing it by hand (Willbanks). Today the whole world knows cotton. Its major producing countries are China, which “produced approximately 20 million bales of cotton,” and the United States, with 17.

2 million bales of cotton production in 2000 (“The Many Faces of Cotton”). Other major producers are the Soviet States, and India, while less producing countries include Pakistan, Brazil, Turkey, Egypt, Mexico, Iran, and Sudan (Textile Exchange). There are three types of cotton, namely, low to medium grade cotton, better grade cotton, and organic cotton. The type “found in mass-produced goods and cotton blend goods” are called ‘low to medium grade cotton. ’ Better grades are the type with longer-staple cotton, often found in fine quality shirts and beddings.

Examples of this type are the Egyptian cotton, Pima, Supima, American Egyptian, and Sea Island. Cotton grown without use of any pesticide and fertilizer is called organic cotton (Willbanks). Some of the famous manufacturers of cotton are Barhardt Manufacturing, BBA Nonwovens Veratec, Brannoc Fibers, Ltd. , Cotton Incorporated, Ihsan Sons (PVT) Limited, Leigh Fibers, and Textiles and Nonwovens Directory (Hegde et al. ) Based on the historical accounts on cotton fiber, it primarily served the purpose of clothing in various parts of the world.

However, in the early 20th Century, a few cotton mills in the U. S. found “ways to upgrade the waste cotton fibers into saleable products. ” This was the goal they had that was why they bonded fiber waste with latex and resin, whose end product was industry wipes (Hegde et al. ) Products such as “draperies, table cloths, napkins, and wiping towels” were developed after the World War II (Hegde et al. ). As people discovered mechanics and invented machines, cotton fiber served more and newer purposes than it originally did.

Cotton is not only used for simple clothing but in a wide range of products and end uses, such as the basic apparel – blouses, shirts, dresses, children’s wear, active wear, separates, swimwear, suits, jackets, sweaters, neckwear, skirts, pants and hosiery (Swicoli AG Textile Services); shoes, handbags, and luggage (Willbanks); home fashion – curtains, bed spreads, comforters, throws, sheets, table mats (Swicoli AG Textile Services), upholstery fabrics, rugs, wall coverings, and tobacco cloth; sanitary supplies; industrial abrasives; book bindings (Willbanks); and medical and cosmetic applications – bandages and wound plasters (Swicoli AG Textile Services). It was found out in 1994 that 63 percent of cotton was utilized for apparel, 29 percent for home furnishings, and eight percent for industrial products and exportations (Willbanks). Within the last decade, bleached cotton fiber used for processing on conventional non-woven equipment has attracted interest and became available, particularly in medical and healthcare applications like in wiping and wiper markets and some apparel markets. However, since bleached cotton for non-woven application is relatively new, it is quite an expensive fiber and its sources are few (Hegde et al. ).

Cotton fiber was also tapped to help control the problem of soil erosion. Mulch & Seed Innovations, together with Cotton Incorporated and the Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, has created “two all-natural cotton-fiber hydro mulch products” to answer the soil erosion problem. These mulches are more favorable than wood, paper, or synthetic ones because they allow grass seeds to develop faster while protecting the soil against heavy wind and rain (Delta Farm Press). This is all because cotton is porous, absorbent, and biodegradable, which makes it perfect for controlling soil erosion and developing seed (qtd. in Delta Farm Press).

Cotton’s popularity is rooted from its desirable properties, which includes aesthetics, comfort, breathability, absorbency, soft hand, durability, and easy care (Shukr US). Cotton fabric, which is 100 percent untreated, “has a pleasant matte luster; a soft drape” (Willbanks) or fall (Shukr USA); “and a smooth hand” (Willbanks) or appearance to the eye (Shukr USA). Cotton fabric is also known to be very comfortable due to its soft hand (Willbanks). In addition, it possesses excellent absorbency or “ability to take in and hold moisture. ” However, it is not good at releasing it, thus poor wickability or “ability to transport moisture perspiration away from the body to the garment’s surface” (Shukr USA).

Moreover, cotton is known for its breathability or air permeability, the ability of a “fabric to allow air to pass through its construction. ” However, when cotton fabric becomes too moist or wet, its breathability is reduced (Shukr USA). Another undesirable feature of cotton fabric is that it wrinkles and shrinks easily. But with treatment or blending with polyester, wrinkles and shrinks are both reduced (Shukr USA). Cotton fabrics require easy care. They can be machine washed and dried. But sunlight harms cotton, “causing it to oxidize and turn yellow. ” Acids also harm cotton fabrics. Cotton fabrics can be bleached but not too much since this will weaken the fibers (Willbanks). The cotton fiber is preferred by majority of consumers worldwide.

This is why it will continue to increase its share in the fabric market (Hegde et al. ). Thanks to cotton’s rich history, desirable properties, and variety of uses, life now is more comfortable. Works Cited “Cotton. ” Swicofil AG Textile Services. 12 October 2007 <http://www. swicofil. com/products/001cotton. html>. “Fiber History. ” Textile Exchange. 12 October 2007 <http://www. teonline. com/fibertrademarks. html>. Hegde, Raghavendra, et al. “Cotton Fibers. ” University of Tennessee Knoxville. 2004 April. 12 October 2007 <http://www. engr. utk. edu/mse/Textiles/Cotton%20fibers. htm>. “History of Cotton. ” Pakistan Cotton Ginners’ Association. 2001. 12 October 2007 <http://www. pcga. org/cotton_history. html>. Penton Media.

“Cotton-fiber hydromulch option for erosion control. ” Delta Farm Press. 28 September 2007. 12 October 2007 <http://deltafarmpress. com/cotton/070928-hydromulch-erosion/>. Shukr USA. 2007. Fabric Guide. 12 October 2007 <http://www. shukronline. com/fabric- guide. html#fibers>. “The Story of Cotton. ” Cotton Counts Education Resources. 12 October 2007 <http://www. cotton. org/pubs/cottoncounts/story/index. cfm>. “The Many Faces of Cotton. ” Cotton Counts Education Resources. 12 October 2007 <http://www. cotton. org/pubs/cottoncounts/upload/The-Many-Faces-of-Cotton. pdf>. Willbanks, Amy. “Cotton. ” Fabrics. Net. 12 October 2007. <http://www. fabrics. net/amycotton. asp>.

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