Physical and Mechanical Properties of Cotton Fibers: Single-fiber Failure

Abstract

The fibers for specific textile end-use applications will be selected basically through their mechanical properties. They are key elements in fiber selection for successful applications. The way a single fiber behaves when it breaks is a good indicator of the mechanical properties whereby the results can be correlated to their microstructure. In this respect, our research concerned four types of cotton provided by the Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute (FBRI), Lubbock, TX. Their length and their degree of maturity are different. The thickness and the maturity have first been defined by a microscopic analysis, which is completed by a macroscopic scale analysis. The measurement of characteristics, such as the fiber length distribution, has also been investigated. Two different types of cotton have been chosen for advanced mechanical studies: the single-fiber breakage with both tensile and fatigue testing has been carried out and the fiber morphology has been observed using a scanning electron microscope. The aim of our study is the morphological investigation of the cotton fiber by specifying the breaking mode of a single fiber. © 2010, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.