The scouring of cotton

✍ Scribed by J. Merritt Matthews

• Book ID: 104116503
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1906
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 299 KB
• Volume: 162
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0016-0032
• DOI: 10.1016/s0016-0032(06)90280-4

✦ Synopsis

Before cotton cal-i be properly dyed or bleached, it is necessary that the waxy matters surrounding the fibres should he removed. As these are water-repellent, it is very difficult to impregnate the cotton fihre with solutions if such impurities are present. This may be rendered easily apparent by placing raw cotton in water, even at a boiling temperature, and noticing how long a time is required for the fiL'res to become wet through.

Unless it is to be dyed or bleached in the loose state, cotton in this form, is seldom scoure(l out, as the amount of foreign matter on the fibre is nowhere comparable to that on wool, and it in no way interferes with the carding or spinning. In fact, the xxaxy matters on the cotton fibre are of great assistance in the proper carding and spinning of the material, as it gives a coherence to the tibres which would otherwise be lacking. Cotton that has been scoured and bleached in the loose state is very difficult to properly st)in, and oil must be added to the stock in the same manner as with wool.