Measurement of Cotton Stickiness

Texas Tech University System Office of Technology Commercialization
posted on 07/15/2011

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Invention Title

Cotton Stickiness Evaluation by means of multi-temperature testing

Executive Summary

The present invention relates generally to a method for testing stickiness of cotton using multiple temperatures.  Cotton stickiness results from a cyclical disease problem in the cotton crop. Our patented evaluation process gives users an accurate grading system for cotton stickiness, which can help growers and spinners accurately identify different types of cotton and determine processing problems. Our technology trumps other technologies by providing users with key information regarding sticky deposit distribution which gives managers a cost effective and timely way to manage varieties of cotton stickiness, that can be used on a large scale basis with minimal maintenance.

Product Description

Cotton may be tested for sticky deposits of sugars using at least two different temperatures. The amounts of sticky spots at the two temperatures are compared to yield an accurate grading of cotton. The differential between two or more readings at different temperatures will show the type of contamination and will allow the spinners to better predict the processing troubles to be expected in the mill and to use this information for bale management.

Inventor Background

Dr. Eric Hequet is the Associate Director of the Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute at Texas Tech University and he holds a joint appointment with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Haute Alsace in France.  He has provided international leadership in research on the measurement of cotton fiber properties and contaminants, including the impacts of these on textile processing performance.

Patent Number

US #6,520,007

Publications

http://www.aaec.ttu.edu/Publications/1999%20Beltwide/Prospects.pdf

http://esr.lib.ttu.edu/bitstream/handle/2346/1745/Analysis%20of%20Sticky%20Cotton.pdf?sequence=1