In dept research on importance and cultural relevance of cotton fabric

Cotton fabric research

1. The Fabric Of Our Lives
Manya Garg Devanshi Jain Aahna Jain Heetal Kotwani
COTTON

2. Cotton is a staple fibre, which means it is composed of different, varying lengths of fibres. Cotton is
made from the natural fibres of cotton plants, which are from the genus Gossypium. Cotton is
primarily composed of cellulose, an insoluble organic compound crucial to plant structure, and is a
soft and fluffy material. The cotton plant needs lots of sun, a long period without frost, and a good
amount of rain. The term ‘cotton’ refers to the part of the cotton plant that grows in the boll, the
encasing for the fluffy cotton fibres. Cotton is spun into yarn that is then woven to create a soft,
durable fabric.
The word cotton comes from the Arabic word ‘quton’. The earliest production of cotton was in India,
where the material dates back to the fifth millennium BC. The first cotton gin, which is a tool that
separates the cotton fluff from the plant seeds, was invented in India in the thirteenth century. The
cotton gin made the production of cotton much easier and faster, helping the fibr spread as a widely
used textile. During the Industrial Revolution, with the invention of new technologies like the
spinning jenny, spinning frame, and spinning mule, Britain became one of the leading cotton
producers. All of these spinning machines allowed manufacturers to spin cotton at increased rates.
However, it was the American Eli Whitney’s invention of the mechanical cotton gin which led to
increased production of the material in the United States and Europe. This new tool, which separated
the seeds from the cotton quickly and efficiently using machine power, cut down the hours of manual
labor needed to produce a bale of cotton from 600 hours to just 12.
Introduction

3. Characteristics
Cotton fabric is likewise extremely
soft, but it possesses heat retention
properties that make it similar to a
blend of silk and wool. Cotton is more
durable than silk but less so than
wool, and it is prone to pilling, rips,
and tears. Nonetheless, cotton
remains one of the world’s most
popular materials. This fabric has a
high tensile strength and a natural
tint that is white or yellowish.
Cotton absorbs a lot of water, but it
also dries quickly, making it excellent
for moisture wicking. Cotton may be
washed on high heat, and it drapes
well on the body. Cotton fabric, on the
other hand, is prone to wrinkling and
will shrink when laundered.

4. Durability
Cotton’s strength is enhanced by its lengthy polymers, many regular hydrogen bond formations
between adjacent polymers, and spiralling fibrils in the primary and secondary cell walls. It is one of
the few fibres that develops strength when wet due to enhanced organisation in the amorphous area
of the fibre.
Elasticity
Cotton fibre is inelastic un nature due to its crystalline polymer system, and as a result, cotton fibre
wrinkles and creases readily. The polymer molecules can only glide past each other under extreme
strain because of their lengthy lengths and the numerous hydrogen bonds that lock the polymer
molecules in place.
Polymer fracture is caused by high strain forces because polymers’ crystallinity makes them difficult
to bend and crush. These polymer fractures create weak sites in the polymer system, resulting in
weak sections in the fibre structure. As a result, when force is applied to cotton fibres, they get
creased and wrinkled.
Absorbency
Cotton molecules absorb a lot of moisture because of their rich polar OH group, which attracts water
molecules. However, because the intermolecular gaps in the crystalline area are so small, the OH
molecule can only enter the cotton molecule through the amorphous region. Cotton fibre swelling in
the presence of water is primarily caused by polymer separation by water molecules in the
amorphous region. 
Cotton fibres typically feel sharp when touched because they absorb moisture from the skin of the

5. finger. Cotton materials do not create static electricity due to their hygroscopic nature. The hydroxyl
group of the polymer attracts the polarity of the water molecule, causing static charges to dissipate.
Thermals
Cotton fibre has the ability to conduct heat energy, reducing any potentially harmful heat
accumulation. Cotton fibres may thus resist high ironing temperatures. However, the fact that severe
heating chars and burns cotton fibre suggests that it is not thermoplastic. This inhibits the fibre from
acquiring the new polymer position when heated. When heated, the polymers begin to vibrate and
dissolve.

6. Usage
Cotton is used in approximately 75%
of the world’s apparel products.
Cotton is the most frequently used
textile fibre in the world, and
producers may spin this fabric into a
wide range of diverse items. Most
shirts, for example, contain at least
some cotton, and true blue jeans are
100 percent cotton. This fabric is used
to create bathrobes, bathmats, and
towels, as well as bedsheets, blankets,
and duvets. Cotton may even be used
to manufacture curtains, wall
hangings, and other sorts of house
decorations. Cotton is widely used to
manufacture warm weather clothes
because it is highly breathable and
absorbent. Its softness makes it an

7. excellent choice for formal and business attire, and its exceptional draping characteristics make it an
excellent fabric for dresses. Cotton is utilised in the production of medical supplies, as well as
industrial thread and tarps. To summarise, cotton may be used to manufacture almost any form of
textile, whether for consumer or industrial usage.
Cotton is used to make a variety of woven fabrics, including canvas, denim, damask, flannel, and
more. Cotton is a fixture of the textile industry as a result of its mass production, soft feel, durability,
and absorbency. Cotton is frequently used for shirts, blue jeans, dresses, sweats, and so much more.
Since cotton is extremely soft and absorbent, it is an ideal fabric for bedroom linens and towels
needed to sop up moisture. For the same reasons, cotton makes comfortable and durable
undergarments. Cotton is also used throughout the home for upholstery, curtains, rugs, pillows.
Cottonseed is a byproduct of the cotton production process, and the seeds are used to manufacture
cottonseed oil, which is used for salad dressing and margarine. It can also be used in makeup, soap,
candles and more. Cotton is used to make a variety of woven fabrics, including canvas, denim,
damask, flannel, and more. Cotton is a fixture of the textile industry as a result of its mass
production, soft feel, durability, and absorbency.

8. Manufacturing
Cotton fabric is derived from the
fibrous protective shell that
surrounds cotton seeds, known as a
boll. Cotton seeds are fairly little, but
the balls that surround them might
grow larger than the tip of your
thumb.
Producers must first remove the
cotton seed from the boll before
making cotton cloth. This stage was
previously done by hand, but in 1794,
American inventor Eli Whitney built
the cotton gin, a mechanical device
that dramatically speeds up the
cotton separating process.
There are now mechanised cotton gins
that make the procedure even easier
for human workers. Cotton balls can

9. be harvested from agricultural fields by machines, and the seeds separated by other equipment.
Cotton production begins in the spring with the planting of cotton seeds. Most of the time, automated
machines plant cotton seeds in 10 or more rows at the same time. Seedlings appear in around seven
days, while mature cotton balls appear in 55 to 80 days.
Human workers are typically necessary prior to machine harvesting for defoliation, which is the
process of removing the leaves off cotton plants. The cotton is then harvested by a single machine,
which also eliminates big impurities from the cotton strands and shapes it into bales. In an hour, high
efficiency automated cotton gins may handle up to 60 raw cotton bales weighing 500 pounds apiece.
These gins extract the seeds from cotton bolls as well as any dirt or rubbish from the cotton.
Cotton is delivered to a textile production plant once it has been cleaned to the point where it consists
of pure cotton fibres with no seeds or waste. The raw cotton is carded at this factory, which is the
process of converting cotton fibres into long strands. These strands are then twisted together to make
yarn. The basic material utilised in cotton fabrics is finished at this point. This cotton yarn can then
be coloured and subjected to a variety of chemical treatments. It is then woven into a specific textile
material, such as a bed sheet, shirt, or pair of blue jeans.

10. Product Range
Many of the fabrics commonly seen on
clothing labels originated from cotton
fibres. Cotton can be woven or knitted
into velvet, corduroy, denim, jersey,
flannel, velour, and chambray. That
means we have cotton to thank for
much of the clothing we wear, even if
it doesn’t say cotton on the label.
Cotton and related fabrics are used to
make just about everything in the
apparel industry, from leisure wear to
underwear to socks and shirts. They
are also used to make bed linens,
comforters, and blankets.
Baby Care & Feminine Care
For many years, non woven products
in baby care and feminine care

11. featured man made fibres almost exclusively. But as time passed, consumers demanded next to skin
top sheets made from natural fibres that were softer and hypoallergenic. Now, an increasing number
of many high quality diapers and baby wipes are made from soft, breathable cotton, the perfect match
for a baby’s delicate skin.
Cotton is also a common ingredient in extra gentle lotions, body washes, and shampoos designed for
babies. In feminine care, too, cotton is often seen in pure, natural products. High quality hygiene pads,
panty liners, and tampons may be made from 100% cotton, both conventional and organic, or in some
cases a blend of cotton with synthetic materials.
Other Consumer Products
Cotton can be easily processed into a number of products that we use on a daily basis, like coffee
filters, book binding, paper, and bandages. Cottonseed oil, which is made from crushed seeds of cotton
plants, is used in a multitude of products including soap, cosmetics, and margarine.
Cotton is also an important component of many products used for travel and recreation, including
tents and tarpaulins, fishing nets, cords, and ropes.
Agriculture and Industrial Applications
Don’t forget, cotton is a food and fibre crop. Cotton seed is often fed to cattle and horses as a healthy
source of protein. Humans can’t digest the cellulose found in cotton, but animals have a special
enzyme that breaks it down. Even stalks and leaves from the cotton plant can be made useful, stalks
are ploughed underground to enrich soil, and fibre extracted from them is used to make pressed

12. paper and cardboard. Additionally, cotton serves a function in just about every industry, from
pharmaceuticals to rubber and plastics. Cotton linters, the short fibres that remain on the plant after
it is ginned are used in x rays, swabs, and cotton buds in the medical field, as well as in cleanroom
suits and supplies. Cotton linters are also used in mattresses, furniture, automobile cushions, and
even flat screen televisions. As you can see, cotton is one of the most widely used and versatile
materials out there. We have cotton to thank for many of the products we use daily like clothing,
linens, and household supplies. Services that we rely on, like the medical and automobile industries,
rely on cotton in the production and delivery of services. Look around you, chances are, you can
count on two hands the number of things you see that were made with cotton or its by products.
Cotton really is everywhere.

13. Latest Development
In its revised estimate, the Cotton
Corporation of India has projected
that production will touch 337 lakh
bales, better than the previous year’s
level, but still below the 352 lakh
bales of 2020 and 2021. Cotton
arrivals have picked up after a delay,
indicating that production in India
will be better this year though
subdued demand may keep
consumption down.
Higher import duties have increased
the prices of cotton, raising
production costs for the textile
industry and rendering them less
competitive in the global market. The
Indian cotton industry has sought
incentives and an import duty cut for

14. cotton to bolster the crisis ridden mill sector in the light of a slump in exports and weak prospects for
the new crop. Garment exports have shown a decline in the first quarter of FY23, and several mills
are facing difficulties in the absence of sufficient orders. Though cotton arrivals in the market have
improved, Indian products are still higher priced in the market because of higher production costs.

15. Reflective Note
Learning about cotton has unveiled its
historical ties to social injustices like
slavery, emphasising the need for
ethical agricultural practices. The
evolution of cotton farming
techniques and textiles, from hand
picking to modern mechanisation,
showcases human adaptability and
innovation. It underscores the
importance of continued research to
mitigate environmental and social
impacts, highlighting technology's
potential for positive change.
Realising the consumer's impact
empowers me to support products
made with ethical and sustainable
cotton, encouraging responsible
consumption. This exploration has

16. deepened my understanding of interconnected economic, environmental, and social aspects,
motivating me to advocate for ethical practices and informed consumer choices in the cotton
industry. This journey has illuminated the profound complexity of cotton's history and its place in
contemporary society. It inspires me to actively champion responsible and sustainable practices and
encourages others to consider the ethical and environmental implications of their choices in the
cotton products they select.