Who grows cotton. What is Cotton? Refining cotton at a ginnery and getting cotton fiber

The history of the production of cotton fabric goes back thousands of years. It is believed that cotton first appeared in India more than seven thousand years ago. But the use of cotton as a fabric for sewing clothes began relatively recently - in the 19th century.

Currently, the main cotton producers are three countries: the United States, China and India. Cotton fabric is a natural fiber. This fiber is made from the fruit of the cotton plant. To grow it, you need the presence of a large number of warm sunny days per year, the complete absence of frost and an average rainfall of 600-1200 mm. In other words, cotton grows best in tropical and subtropical climates, in regions where long dry spells prevail. Of the countries of the former Soviet camp, Uzbekistan, where the main production of cotton in the USSR was concentrated during the Soviet era, is most suitable for such conditions.

Description of fabric

Historically, in Russian, the name "cotton fabric" arose due to the fact that in the 19th century in Russia this fabric was called "cotton paper". Gradually this name was transformed into the term "cotton fabric".

Cotton fiber refers to natural fibers of plant origin. The chemical formula of cotton is as follows (С6H10O5) n. Fiber is a plant cell that develops from the seed coat. Fiber thickness - 15-25 microns. The length can be different: from 5 to 60 mm. Depending on the length of the fiber, a distinction is made between short staple, medium staple and long staple cotton. Cotton fiber is a hollow tube, twisted several times around its axis. The hollow structure of this fiber is the reason for the poor thermal conductivity of the cotton fabric. Chemical composition of cotton: 95% cellulose, 5% mineral impurities.

Properties

According to its properties, cotton has with the following characteristics:

Depending on the length of the fibers, the fabric is divided into three groups.

Before the cotton harvested in the fields turns into linen, it must be turned into cotton thread, that is, subjected to a spinning process. This is done on special machines. For cotton fibers use three spinning technologies: gimbal, combed and hardware.

Synthetic inclusions

At present, pure cotton thread is rarely used; most often, the composition of cotton fabric contains certain synthetic additives that reduce the negative natural properties of cotton, such as easy creasing, high abrasion, and low resistance to ultraviolet radiation. The most common synthetic fibers for cotton fabrics today are acetate, rayon and polyester. Their use is significant improves the properties of the original tissue.

Varieties of cotton fabric

According to the method of external finishing, several types of material are distinguished:

The most expensive fabrics are made from cotton fiber having a long-fiber structure. The description of such fabrics will take more than one page. We will mention only the main ones:

A huge variety of mid-price fabrics are obtained from medium staple cotton.

Short staple cotton get the cheapest grades of fabrics, which are called "prophetic cotton":

The properties of cotton fabric make it possible to use it in almost all areas of our life. For example, it is used for sewing bedding. For these purposes, as a rule, soft fabrics are used, such as satin, chintz, calico, flannel. Cotton bed linen is characterized by such positive qualities as naturalness, there is never an allergy to it, a pleasant fit to the body, and good moisture absorption.

It is also used for the production of light textiles: dresses, blouses, shirts, sundresses, nightwear and shirts. High quality Chinese cotton is especially good for these purposes. A distinctive feature of lightweight clothing made of natural cotton is that it is very comfortable to tolerate hot, stuffy weather. Cotton is a symbol of home coziness and comfort.

There are also cotton outerwear: all kinds of jackets, windbreakers, raincoats, coats and bavos (a type of poncho), as well as workwear and special-purpose products.

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The idea of ​​the possibility of making fabrics from cotton fibers first appeared among the Indians many millennia ago. The idea was implemented. I liked the resulting canvas and began to gain popularity in Asian countries. In Russia, cotton fabrics were first seen in the 15th century, they began to be produced from imported fibers after 3 centuries.

Raw materials for obtaining cotton fabrics, methods of its processing

For the production of textile materials, cotton is used with fibers of different lengths.

• Short-staple cotton with a fiber length of up to 26 mm is little used on an industrial scale.
• Medium staple cotton is in demand. It grows in large quantities in Central Asia. The plant is fruitful, ripens 140 days after sowing, forms fibers with a maximum length of 35 mm.
• Long staple cotton is the preferred raw material source. It has a lower yield, requires special climatic conditions. The length of the fibers in such a plant reaches 45 mm. Grows in India, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, China, Mexico.

Marvelous! A cotton flower only lives for one day. Then the petals fall off, the formation of a seed box begins.

For seed reproduction, nature conceived the presence of fluffy fibers on them, which will be easily carried by the wind over long distances. Man has found practical application for these formations.

The resulting fibers differ in maturity. Fully formed cotton is characterized by high strength, elasticity, absorbing properties, paintability. It contains up to 97% cellulose, which has about 6 thousand monomer units.

An intermediate stage, prior to obtaining fabrics, is the transformation of fibers into yarns and threads. There are several spinning technologies. For cotton materials we use: carded, combed, hardware spinning.

• Carded spinning, which is the most common, processes medium staple cotton.
• Cotton with fine fibers is combed.
• Low-grade fibers and waste resulting from the implementation of the first two spinning technologies are processed using the apparatus method.

The threads used for the production of cotton fabrics are uniform and complex. They also differ in the presence or absence of torsion, the degree of its intensity.

Types, characteristics of fabrics

There are a large number of parameters, the variation of which makes it possible to obtain many types of fabrics from pure cotton. There is a growing tendency to manufacture from cotton raw materials by adding a natural, chemical, synthetic component. All known types of weaves are used in the production of cotton textiles.

Fine-grained cotton with long fibers is used to make the finest fabrics.

• - a thin, durable fabric with a low density made of twisted combed yarn. Weave type - plain, low density. The fabric is expensive and not very durable. Delicate shirts, pajamas, festive ones are made of cambric.
• Marquis is a fabric similar in basic criteria to cambric (combed twisted yarn, plain weaving), it is distinguished by a higher degree of twisting of the threads. The density of the linen is almost 10 times that of cambric. Summer clothes, curtains, bed linen are sewn from the awning.
• Volta is a silky, delicate fabric with high density. It is made from combed yarn that has been twisted. The weaving is carried out according to the plain pattern. The material is similar to cambric. Summer women's dresses and linen are sewn from it.
• - exquisite thin material with a high density of threads, weaved according to the linen algorithm. Strong fabric feels soft, delicate and silky to the touch. Serves a long time, tolerates washing well.
• Poplin is a material made from plain weave from combed twisted yarn. In the weft of some varieties of poplin, untwisted yarn is used. The combination of a high density of threads on the warp with a large weft thickness leads to the formation of a slightly pronounced transverse scar on the fabric. They make bed linen from poplin.
• - a light silky fabric made from tightly twisted combed yarn in a plain weave. Elegant things are sewn from taffeta.
• More beautiful - a light fabric with a slightly "wrinkled" surface. They are made from combed yarn using a special type of weave, special chemical treatment. Sometimes contains golden or silver thread. Women's dresses are sewn from beautifully.
• Kiseya is a representative of the gas tissue group. It is a very light transparent fabric of the linen type. During the production process, straight weft threads intertwine pairwise crossed warp threads. Used for decorating ladies' outfits, window curtains.
• Tulle is a mesh transparent fabric of a smooth or patterned type. Produced on special machines. They are used to decorate women's clothing, make curtains, bedspreads, capes.
• - elegant lace fabric made of fine threads. It is made by several methods: pulling out excess fibers, etching the soluble thread of the pattern frame after completing the pattern. In industrial production, guipure is now produced on special spinning machines.
• Combed satin. Material with an informative name, from which it follows that it is made of combed yarn by means of satin weave. Used for sewing bed linen, home textiles.

A large group of textile materials are made from medium staple cotton.

• - a popular fabric made from medium-twist yarns intertwined in a plain type. Summer clothes, bed linen, home textiles, clothes for sleeping and waking are sewn from chintz.
• Calico fabrics are a group of weaving materials made like chintz from carded yarn by weaving in a plain look. By the nature of the finish (dressing), they are subdivided into soft-finish muslin, direct semi-rigid calico, Madapolam with a hard finish. Linen and home linen are made from calico.
• By Russian standards, this is a pure cotton fabric. Imported coarse calico may contain a small amount of synthetic threads. They are created according to different standards. The threads that make up the coarse calico are thick, tightly intertwined. There are several varieties of coarse calico, which differ in density. In general, the fabric is rough. Costs less than other cotton materials.
• Carded satin is a dense fabric made from thicker threads than combed satin. Non-mercerized modifications of the material are also released. A type of carded satin with a base on the front is called an eraser.
• Cretonne is a dense material made of pre-dyed yarn, woven in a plain pattern. As a result, ornaments from stripes, cells are obtained. Used for upholstery.
• Tricot is a dense fabric made of fine carded yarn of twill or delicately patterned shaped weave. There is often a fine twisted yarn in the warp, and a coarser one in the weft. Cheaper tights are made from cotton. Wool fabrics are more expensive. Leotards are used mainly for suits and trousers.

From short-staple grades, yarn is obtained for bikes, flannel, boomazes.

• A bike is a very dense material that is obtained as a result of a specific one-and-a-half-layer weaving. There is a fleece on both sides of the canvas.
• Flannel is obtained using plain, twill, sometimes fine-patterned weave. The material is brushed on both sides. The fabric is lighter than a bike.
• Bumazeya is produced with plain or twill weave. Usually there is a fleece on one side. The density of the boomazey is comparable to that of a bike.

Non-woven and artificial fibers are made from the shortest fibers with a length of up to 20 mm.

Classification by purpose of fabrics from cotton raw materials

• Demi-season fabrics are made from carded and combed single-strand twisted yarn. The high density of the material provides heat protection, the ability to hold its shape. This group includes a weighted garus with a plain weave, all varieties of plaid, as well as a fabric with a crepe or finely patterned weave, which is called wool. In the group of demi-season materials, a large volume is occupied by shirt fabrics, which include poplin, reps, taffeta, satin. Diverse in the manufacturing method, finishing methods, dress fabrics related to demi-season.
• Summer fabrics are lightweight, with low density, high breathability. Lightweight materials for general use include marquise, cambric, volta.
• Winter materials have the maximum density, brushed pile. These include bumazeye, flannel.
• A separate group is made up of clothing fabrics, from which they are mainly sewn for industrial clothing. To increase strength, nylon fiber is added to cotton.
• Lining fabrics in sewing are an auxiliary material. These include calico, side and pocket fabric.
• Decorative materials for furniture are used for upholstery, drapery, sewing curtains, curtains. The canvases have great strength, resistance to stretching, abrasion.
• The group of piece products includes handkerchiefs and headscarves. They are made from pure cotton or with the addition of viscose. The types of weaves used are plain, twill.
• Cotton fabrics are used for the production of lightweight and flannel blankets. In the canvases of some types of blankets, nylon threads, or lavsan, are additionally introduced.

- a large group of various products, differing in the basic manufacturing methods and modifications of known technologies.

Differences between cotton and other fabrics

1. Combustion.
   • All natural materials burn. Mixed mixtures burn with the formation of a larger or smaller droplet of resin. Synthetic fabrics are melted.
   • Cotton burns well, giving off a burnt paper smell. At the end of the combustion, smolders.
   • also burns well, but smolders much worse.
   • Wool burns without decay, emitting a specific smell of burnt hair.
2. Tactile and visual experience.
   • To the touch, cotton feels like a warm, soft fabric that crumples easily. She drapes well.
   • Linen is shiny, hard, cool, smooth. Draped poorly, wrinkled very easily.
   • Silk is a pleasant, soft, flexible, light material. Does not wrinkle.

Cotton fabrics are hygienic, practical and beautiful. From a wide range of products, you can always choose a comfortable, durable material that meets the needs and aesthetic demands of the buyer. Prices for many types of cotton fabrics are in the range available to the mass buyer.

Production of cotton fabrics:

And other products. But not everyone has an idea of ​​what cotton looks like, what cotton is made of, how it is grown, where cotton grows, how it is harvested, how cotton is used and what is made of cotton. Let's try to answer all these questions.

Cotton - the fibers that cover the cotton seeds. Cotton fibers are 95% cellulose and 5% fats and minerals. The world knows more than 50 varieties of cotton, but only 4 of them are grown and cultivated:

• Gossypium hirsutum - annual herbaceous cotton, the northernmost one, gives a short and coarse fiber;
• Gossypium arboreum - Indo-Chinese tree-like cotton plant, the highest up to 4-6 m;
• Gossypium barbadense - Elite long staple cotton from the islands, Barbados or Peruvian;
• Gossypium herbaceum is the most widespread cotton plant.

The main suppliers of cotton for many years have been the United States, China, India, Pakistan, Brazil, although it is grown in 80 countries.

How is cotton grown?

1. The formation of a bud, from which a flower will grow over time.
2. The flower and its pollination. After pollination, the flower turns from yellow to purple-pink, which falls off after a few days, leaving the fruit (seed capsule) in its place. The flower self-pollinates, which does not tie the cotton production process to the presence of pollinating insects.
3. The growth of the seed box and the formation of cotton fibers from it. The fibers begin to grow only after pollination. The capsule expands, bursts, releasing cotton fibers.

• the number of seed boxes is tracked;
• after opening the bolls by 80%, the cotton is processed to accelerate ripening;
• collection begins after opening the boxes to 95%.

Initially, cotton was picked and processed by hand, which made products from it quite expensive, since one person can pick up to 80 kg of cotton a day, and separate it from the seeds of 6-8 kg. With the industrialization and mechanization of processes, cotton has become the main natural fiber, allowing the production of inexpensive but high-quality products.

It is worth noting that in some countries (Africa, Uzbekistan) cotton is still picked by hand. But in modern production, raw cotton is harvested with special cotton pickers. There are several types of them, but they all have the same principle of operation:

• cotton bushes are captured with special spindles;
• in special compartments, the raw cotton and the stem are separated, the stem calmly comes out;
• the opened boxes are captured and sent to the cotton bin, and the closed and half-opened ones to the bunker for the chicken heap.

Cotton types

According to the degree of stretching and pollution, cotton fibers are divided into 7 groups, where 0 is selected cotton. Along the fiber length by:

• short-fiber (up to 27 mm);
• medium-fiber (30-35 mm);
• long-fiber (35-50 mm).

Why is cotton good?

Cotton has the following properties:

• good hygroscopicity and air permeability;
• good tensile strength;
• resistant to high temperatures (up to 150 C);
• resistant to organic solvents (alcohol, acetic acid, formic acid);
• softness;
• good coloring;
• relative cheapness.

What is cotton made?

• planting new cotton;
• oil production;
• production of feed for livestock.

• as a basis for the production of synthetic thread;
• paper (cotton is 95% cellulose);
• plastics;
• explosives.

• elite, thin fabrics - only long-staple cotton is used for them;
• cheaper fabrics, such as calico, chintz, etc. - use medium staple cotton;
• knitwear - short-staple cotton can also be used in the manufacture (this sometimes explains its lower durability), synthetic components are added to them for strength;
• medical cotton;
• batting;
• cotton filler for pillows, blankets and mattresses - modern methods of careful processing of cotton fiber allow you to obtain a material that perfectly holds its shape, does not cake and is environmentally friendly.

Cotton is a soft, fluffy fiber that grows in the seed capsule, the fruit of cotton. Cotton is a plant of the mallow family, up to 2 m high. It is distributed in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world, including America, Asia and Africa.

Cotton fiber is most often spun into yarn or thread, which is used for the production of soft, breathable fabric, which is currently the most widely used in the textile industry in the manufacture of bedding, such as pillows and, mattress covers, etc.

After flowering (flowers are yellow, cream or white), the cotton plant forms a fruit - a box with 3-5 nests, each of which contains 5-11 seeds. Each seed develops several thousand white (less often - cream, beige, greenish and other colors) hairs - fibers up to 5 cm long. Each fiber is a separate cell. It is these fibers that cover the cotton seed that are called cotton.

Chemical composition of cotton:

• cellulose 91.00%

• water 7.85%

• protoplasm, pectin 0.55%

• waxes, fatty substances 0.40%

• mineral salts 0.20%

In the Russian language of the XIX century. cotton was called cotton paper. Until now, words are saved cotton industry, cotton fabric. In the works of Russian classical literature, one can find, for example, references to the fact that this or that character was in a paper cap - this does not at all mean that he was wearing a cap made of paper, it means that the cap was made of cotton fabric.

Harvesting cotton with cotton pickers

When the cotton fruit is ripe, the capsule opens, and the fiber together with the seeds harvested by pickers or cotton pickers... Cotton is usually harvested in two steps as the bolls open. Some of the bolls that did not open until late autumn remain on the bushes. In Central Asia, such boxes are called chicken... They are removed during the third pick.

Delivery of cotton to the cotton collection point

The fiber collected together with the seeds is called raw cotton. Raw cotton contains by weight about 30-40% of fiber and 60-70% of seeds (a certain proportion can also be accounted for by impurities, dirt).

Raw cotton is stored on the farm or transported (as is customary, for example, in Central Asia) to cotton collection point- a specially equipped enterprise where cotton is weighed and stored on dry, leveled areas in the form of huge cubes, then covered with tarpaulin or film. Cotton collection points usually serve several cotton farms. Here, raw cotton is waiting for its turn to be sent to cotton gin plant.

When the raw material is handed over to the cotton collection point, it is usually bought and sold: it passes from the ownership of the farm to the ownership of the organization, which exploits this point. In Soviet times, the delivery of raw cotton to a cotton collection point meant the delivery of cotton by the farm to the state. Therefore, it was the weight of raw cotton handed over that was considered the most important reporting indicator (while in international practice, accounting for cotton production is carried out for cotton fiber).

Refining cotton at a ginnery and getting cotton fiber.

Several ginning sites are usually associated with one ginnery(the factory may have its own cotton collection point). The plant carries out a gradual processing of the crop, and, as production capacities become free, more and more raw cotton is brought here from receiving points located in the zone of the plant's influence. At the plant, on special machines (gins, linters, etc.), the fibers are separated from the seeds, as well as the fibers are separated along their length (a process that could be compared to the separation of hydrocarbons into fractions at oil refineries). The longest hairs - longer than 20-25 mm are called fiber. This is cotton fiber, the very product for which data are usually provided in world statistics. Cotton fiber goes mainly to textile factories.

For medium-fiber varieties of cotton the fiber length is considered to be from 25 mm, for fine fiber (most valuable)- from 37 mm. The highest quality cotton bed linen is subsequently produced from fine-fiber long fibers, characterized by increased strength, lightness, smoothness, which does not "get dusty" or "frizzy". In the online store "Jofrua" there are presented from and brands Sailid, TAC (Touch), Karven (Karven); mid-price category from high-quality satin, as well as elite cotton linen from Turkish satin (Pierre Cardin - from Pierre Cardin, Home Sweet Home, TAC Delux, Tivolyo delux) and Chinese manufacturers (Famille delux, Kingsilk delux).

More short hairs are, depending on the length, the name lint, cyclone-fluff, underpads and others. They are sent to cotton production, as well as for the production of explosives (gunpowder, etc.). Since the yield of finished products (cotton fiber) from raw materials (raw cotton) is relatively low (less than half), ginneries are almost always located in cotton growing areas(that is, they are guided by raw materials), raw cotton is never transported over long distances. In contrast, for example, from wool, which can be transported in an uncleaned (unwashed) form over very long distances - to areas of consumption. In international statistics, therefore, it is customary to keep records of wool production from the so-called unwashed wool (that is, as if from raw wool), while accounting of cotton is carried out on cotton fiber.

Cotton ginnery - the top of the pyramid of the local cotton complex: production ties of the territory it serves converge to it, here cotton is transformed from agricultural raw material into a product accounted for by international statistics and quoted on cotton exchanges. Here, as in the neck of an hourglass, the connections for the supply of raw cotton converge, and then from here the cotton fiber “scatters” in different directions.

The zones of influence of ginneries are, as a rule, stable: from year to year cotton is brought to the factory from the same cotton collection points, and to those, in turn, from the same neighboring farms. On the contrary, in terms of product sales, cotton ginning factories do not have stable ties: textile enterprises (or intermediary firms) in different years purchase cotton of different quality from different factories, depending on their needs. There are usually much fewer suppliers of raw materials at a ginnery than consumers (and the former, we repeat, are fixed, while the latter are unstable in composition).

Sending bales of cotton to finished goods warehouses

Cotton fiber is pressed into beautiful snow-white bales and goes to the finished product warehouse.

Bale lots are classified and graded according to length, fineness (fineness, degree of thickness), strength and uniformity (uniformity) of the fibers. In Soviet times, cotton ginning plants carried out direct supplies of cotton fiber to tens and hundreds of different textile enterprises in the country, depending on the needs of textile workers in one or another type of raw material. The supply system was regulated by the relevant ministries and departments. Currently, the promotion of Central Asian cotton to Russian textile enterprises is carried out through a chain of trade and intermediary firms not related to production.

Converting cotton into yarn -> into fabric -> into a finished product (bedding and other textiles)

Bales of cotton fiber arriving from ginning factories or warehouses to textile enterprises go to spinning production - the transformation of individual fibers into a single continuous thread (yarn). Then, in the weaving industry, the yarn is turned into fabric. Finally, the garment industry produces a finished product - clothing, home textiles (curtains, etc.).

Using cotton seeds

Back to ginnery... More than half of the weight of raw cotton entering for cleaning, as we remember, is made up of seeds. From them, in fact, cotton is cleaned. And what do they do with cleanups? They contain up to 30% oil. These slightly pubescent lumps (it is usually impossible to clean the seed at all, to shine) are sent from the refinery to the oil extraction or oil and fat plant. There they get from the seeds cottonseed oil, and on its basis soap, glycerin, margarine, lubricants are produced.

Leading countries in cotton production in 2009

Sincerely,
Online store of bed linen Zhofrua

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This type of fabric, with which each of us is familiar from childhood, is an excellent representative of natural materials. Of course it's cotton. Due to its excellent qualities, it was appreciated at all times and remains incredibly in demand until now. , produced in different countries, finds application in various spheres of human life. Cotton history and properties deserve special attention, since this material has been known since time immemorial and for many millennia has gone hand in hand with man.

“Cotton has been spun, woven and dyed since prehistoric times. The population of ancient India, Egypt and China dressed in it. Hundreds of years BC, cotton textiles were woven in India with inimitable skill, and the use of cotton spread to the Mediterranean countries. "

Colombian Encyclopedia

People who lived on the banks of the Indus 7000 years ago knew how to cultivate cotton. Confirmation of this was found during archaeological excavations. In Mexico, cotton fabric began to be produced several centuries before our era. Then it came to Europe and the Greco-Roman Empire and gradually spread westward. And since the discovery of America, the active cultivation of cotton began there as well. Millions of local residents, turned into slaves, worked on the cotton plantations.

Cotton is the most widely grown crop. It is cultivated in 80 countries of the world, on five continents. Cotton accounts for 40% of the total production of fabrics in the world, ahead of wool and silk. There are about 50 species of it.

What is he like? This is nothing more than a shrub that grows from one meter to one and a half meters high. It is very thermophilic and grows well at temperatures around + 30 degrees. Although there are many types of cotton, only four are used for mass cultivation. Different types of cotton grow in different regions of the planet.

Cotton is a very interesting plant, the stage of development of which is difficult to determine: a bud (flower bud), flower, fruit (seed pod) - all this can be on a cotton bush at the same time. This box contains cotton fibers. But even the flower changes color in the process. At first, it blooms white, and after pollination it turns pink. An ordinary miracle !!!

The fact is that cotton is a hermaphrodite and pollination takes place inside the flower itself. The crucial point is that if pollination does not occur within 24 hours, then the flower withers and dies. After the flower turns into a box, there are about 50 seeds in it, which begin to produce cotton.

Cotton fruits ripen at different times. When is it harvested? The fact is that boxes with valuable cotton are constantly monitored and when they open 95% of them begin to be picked. By this time, there are practically no leaves on the bushes. This comes from the use of a special defoliant, which speeds up leaf fall. Initially, cotton has a lot of foliage, and it is quite difficult to collect bolls in this case. Therefore, they try to get rid of the leaves.

The cotton fibers grow inside the seed pod, which is divided into 3 or 5 separate nests. And each nest contains 10 to 12 seeds. After the seeds ripen, the fibers stop growing. Their length can be from 1.5 cm to 4 cm. At this time, the box dries up and opens. That's when you can start picking cotton.

Cotton plantations are sometimes just huge and in this case they use a mechanized method of harvesting. However, manual assembly is more gentle and gentle. But in one day a person can pick only about 80 kg of cotton, and a 800 kg machine only in an hour of work. The difference is very significant. For example, in Africa, entire families work on cotton plantations and live off it.

After the cotton is harvested, it is cleaned. Previously, it was done by hand, but now in special factories. In the 19th century, a machine was invented that separated seeds from fibers and was many times greater than the amount of processed material. This was truly a revolution in cotton production.

The fibers are bunched and pressed, and the seeds are not thrown away, but left for later use. Some of them are planted again, and cottonseed oil is squeezed out of the rest for cooking. The cake, obtained during processing and rich in proteins, is sent to livestock feeding.

Cotton fibers are specially classified. There are certain standards by which the quality and condition of cotton is assessed: the color and length of the fibers. The length of the fibers is measured using a special device similar to a ruler. Fiber colors are white, cream and yellow. Transparency and the degree of soiling are also some of the criteria for the quality of cotton.

A small digression into history). Previously, cotton fibers were carefully combed by hand with special combing brushes. In Britain, all this was done at home by women and children. And then they spun the thread using a spindle. The process was very long and monotonous. The spinning wheel was invented back in the 10th century, but when the amount of fine cotton fabric supplied from India to Europe flooded the market, then home hand spinning wheels could no longer cope with such a flow.

Despite the large selection of Indian cotton, British producers wanted to take the market back into their own hands. In 1760, the Jenny spinning machine was invented by James Hargreaves, which also did not cope with the volume of production. And whoever could invent a more efficient machine could get rich.

In 1764, Richard Arkwright (a barber and wig seller from the North of England) invented the ring spinning machine powered by a water wheel. It has become a real breakthrough in the production of cotton threads. And since this machine was too bulky and did not fit at all at home, special large buildings were made, which then turned into factories. They appeared in England already in 1769. And this was the beginning of mass production, for which home spinners were completely unnecessary.

With the development of production, the price of cotton has greatly decreased and has become available to almost all segments of the population. And since the time of the British Empire's conquest of Indian territory, cotton production in India itself began to decline. Over time, laws were even introduced that forced India to buy finished cotton fabric from England.

Then the cotton fibers go to the factory, where they are used to make yarn and threads. At the factory, in order to make the threads strong, they are pulled about 50 times and twisted, and sometimes synthetic fibers (polyester) are added. On special machines, fabric is made from the threads obtained.

In the process of numerous treatments, as a result, cotton becomes hydrophilic, since the fibers are deprived of the wax film that protects them from moisture. That is why cotton fabrics absorb it so well. The cotton is dyed or left unchanged. For staining, artificial ones are also used.

But it turns out that cotton can already have its own color, different from white, when grown. Other colors are obtained by crossing different varieties of cotton. They come in brown, green, and even purple!

To increase yields, many countries use a variety of chemicals, such as pesticides, to which not only pests but also people working on cotton plantations are exposed. About 20 thousand people die every year from the effects of pesticides on the body. The statistics are terrifying! Therefore, not everything is so rosy in the cotton kingdom (.

But in some countries, organic cotton is still grown, without fertilizers and harmful chemicals. It is more expensive than usual, but unfortunately, when buying in a store, you are unlikely to be told what kind of cotton is on the shelf.

Even fashionistas of the 18th century gladly wore bright and cheerful dresses on crinolines with chintz. It was then in India that they came up with a method of very high-quality dyeing of fabrics. But then there were no chemical dyes and the ladies had the opportunity to wear outfits made of very high quality materials.

A lot of different things are made from cotton threads. They are used in sewing, fabric production, knitting (hand and machine). All of us loved ones are also made of cotton fabric. In order for it to become soft and silky like satin, it is subjected to many treatments.

After the fabric is produced, it is sent to different countries to garment factories, where it is transformed into a wonderful variety of products. These are mainly the countries of the East and Asia, where labor is cheaper. And this ultimately affects the pricing of finished products.

Cotton has a number of beneficial properties:

• It is hypoallergenic, which is why children's clothing is mainly made from cotton fabrics.
• It is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture well).
• It is easy to care for.
• It lends itself well to deformation during heat treatment.
• Possesses heat-shielding properties.
• Convenient in sewing products.

Negative properties:

• Wrinkles pretty quickly.
• Shrinks during washing.
• If you stay in direct sunlight for a long time, the cotton thread becomes thinner.
• On contact with moisture, cotton begins to rot.
• Does not stretch at normal temperatures.

Cotton accompanies us everywhere. It is used to make cotton wool, cotton fabrics, threads, cotton yarn, paper. The range of fabrics made from cotton is quite wide: calico, satin, chintz, cambric, lace, velvet, corduroy, flannel and others.

In order to obtain fabrics with other more wearable characteristics, cotton is interlaced with other artificial threads. Themselves, cotton fabrics are distinguished by the thickness of the thread, the method of weaving, the type of cotton.

It is quite easy to care for cotton fabric.

If you are not afraid that the fabric will shrink, then you can wash in hot water, and if you are worried, then it is better not more than 40 degrees.

Some cotton fabrics are best ironed with slightly damp to smooth out better.

Do not dry in direct sunlight to prevent fading of the fabric.

If the fabric is dyed in different colors, then the use of powder with bleach is not advisable.

Cotton fabrics are widely used in bedding, kitchen utensils, children's clothing, handicrafts, bath accessories, sleepwear, and upholstery for interiors. A lot of people around the world prefer cotton fabrics over others. And the manufactured cotton products are part of many fashionable ones.

This is such a wonderful cotton bush. Nature gives a person everything he needs. The generous land shares its riches with us, we just need to be able to take care of them and use them correctly.

Tell your friends about this wonderful plant!

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