Fibers

Cotton

            Written on the tag inside of the clothes in almost every closet in the world is the word “cotton.”  As we all know, cotton is used in man of the products that we use today.  This plant has been grown from the ground for hundreds of years.  It continues to be a main staple in both clothing and upholstery fabrics today. 

            There are many reasons that people love cotton.  First, it is very resistant to abrasion and tearing, and therefore is good for everyday use.  Cotton also holds color well through light exposure, which makes it a good fiber to be used in things such as window treatments due to its resiliency.  Another well liked quality of cotton is that is blends easily with other fibers.  Today many fabrics are made with synthetic fibers, which are again used in both clothing and upholstery.  Cotton can be blended with many of these synthetic fibers, such as polyester and spandex.  This makes it possible to have fabrics that contain multiple substances, and therefore can have the positive qualities of many different types of fibers.  Cotton is also absorbent, and is therefore used for things other than just clothes and on furniture; it is also used items such as towels, rags, cotton balls, and q-tips.  Even though some may not realize it, cotton is a part of most people’s daily lives due to these qualities as well as many others.

            Before fibers of cotton can be used for any type of fabric, there are multiple processes through which it must go.  It is grown in staple form, or short lengths, and therefore cannot be immediately woven into fabric straight after being pulled from the ground.  The original short fibers are spun and twisted together until a ply of yarn is created.  These plies can be spun together to make bigger pieces of yarn.  After this, the yarn can then be woven into fabric.  Although the cotton starts as just small brittle pieces, it amazingly can be turned into a very strong textile.

            Another important part of the procedure through which cotton goes while being processed into fabric is some sort of dyeing process.   One process is called stock dyeing, during which the single stock fibers of cotton are dyed before being made into yarn.  A separate process is yarn dyeing, during which the fibers are dyed after they have been spun into yarn and are then woven into fabric.  Stock dyed and yarn dyed cotton are the dying processes through which a solid sheet of colored fabric will be made from.  Another method of dyeing is called piece dyeing.  This method is applied after the yarn has already been woven into fabric, and is often used to produce prints and patterns on top of a solid sheet.  The versatility that is seen in cotton products is often due to the different dyeing processes, because each one causes the fibers to take color in a different way.

            The uses of cotton are as varied as the ways that there are to produce it.  Many different processes can be used to make the original staple fiber into varying textures, thicknesses, and colors so that it can have a wide variety of uses, especially when being made into fabric.  When looking at things from bed sheets to curtains it becomes obvious that the ways in which cotton can be produced varies greatly.