Tech eoyt Flashcards
what are the properties of cotton?
Comfortable to wear
Natural, cellulosic fiber
Made from the cotton boll
Absorbs water and “breathes”
Slow to dry
Resists static electricity build-up
Wrinkles easily
Can withstand heat, detergents, and bleach
About 20% stronger when wet than dry
Will shrink unless treated
Can be damaged by mildew
Can be damaged by prolonged exposure to sunlight
Long staple cotton (such a Supima, Pima, Egyptian, and Sea Island) can be woven into smooth, almost silky fabrics.
Where does it grow?
Cotton growsin nearly all tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the U.S., China, India, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Brazil, and Turkey.
How does it go from plant to fabric?
The fibres inside cotton bollsarestripped from theplantby mechanical harvesters. Once harvested, the cottonisdried out and then the fibreisseparated from the seeds using a cotton gin. The cotton fibreiscompressed into bales weighing approximately 225kg each before being delivered to atextilemill.
How does cotton impact the environment?
Runoff of pesticides, fertilizers, and minerals from cotton fields contaminates rivers, lakes, wetlands, and underground aquifers. These pollutants affect biodiversity directly by immediate toxicity or indirectly through long-term accumulation.
