Cotton, which has long been cultivated and processed, finds uses in many and varied applications. Typical processing includes chemical scouring and bleaching, which removes native waxes from the fibers and imparts the classic white finish. Finding uses for raw cotton fibers (termed ‘griege cotton’), which is unscoured and unbleached, as well as cotton-byproducts is of interest for value-added applications and economic, processing and environmental reasons. Absorbent nonwoven fabrics have been identified as one where griege cotton can be incorporated into a variety of products. To evaluate the potential of cotton-based absorbent made from griege cotton and cotton-gin by-products, candidate materials were prepared from either one-hundred percent griege cotton or blends of griege cotton with cotton by-products and/or polypropylene and crafted into hydroentangled nonwoven fabrics. These materials were then analyzed for key surface and physical properties: electrokinetic parameters (zeta potential), water absorbency and contact angles. In an additional application, griege-cotton containing fabrics were used in materials for enhanced blood-clotting properties. These materials were evaluated by thromboelastography (to measure the rate of fibrin and clot formation) and compared to commercial wound dressings containing bleached cotton for enhancing the rate of coagulation. These findings will be presented.

Value-added uses for raw cotton and cotton by-products

2019 Fall National Meeting

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