July 4, 2003

from CottonWorld / Cotton Communications

The reputation of Australian cotton as a premium fibre is at risk, thanks to a combination of factors including micronaire, according to senior cotton merchants.

WHAT the spinners say ... Jim Prendergast

Historically, Australian cotton has established a reputation for being long, strong and fine cotton that could be spun into a high count yarn, hence worth a premium.

Speaking on CSD's weekly Web on Wednesday video, Robert Baird from Queensland Cotton confirmed the importance of complying with spinners' preferred fibre quality parameters.

He said cotton with a length of 1-1/8 (inches) was important because the longer the cotton the finer it can be spun. He said Australian varieties generally had good strength characteristics, which allows spinners to fit less fibres in a cross section of yarn, but still maintain a yarn's strength.

"The last big issue is micronaire, which is basically an indication of maturity and/or fineness. If you can get a nice, fine cotton, you can get a lot more fibres in a cross section for a diameter of yarn, and more fibres also count to the additional strength of the yarn.

"However, when you get immature or very fine fibres in a yarn, then you have problems with either dyeability and/or neps," he said.

Jim Prendergast of Namoi Cotton says some spinners are flatly refusing to take high-micronaire product, forcing heavy discounts to be applied to growers by ginners and marketers, who have sold forward up to three years in advance.

Also speaking on the Web on Wednesday program, Mr Prendergast said spinners were demanding 21-3 cotton (colour) with a micronaire 3.8 to 4.5, and length of 1-18 or longer, and strength of 30 grams per tex.

Given a reasonable growing season the majority of the Australian crop is okay for length and strength, but leaf content can influence colour and seasonal extremities can play havoc with micronaire.

Spinners do not like high micronaire (4.6 to 4.9) because if it is mixed with cotton in the spinner's preferred micronaire range of 3.8 to 4.5 there is a risk the yarn will take up the dye differently.

"The other thing that he looks at is that the strength is probably not as good in a 4.9 micronaire as it is in 4.0, because there is not as many cross members in the yarn," Mr Prendergast said.

He said that if cotton was shorter than 1-1/8 in length, it was usually spun into 20 count yarns, resulting in a 6-7 cent discount to cotton spun into 30-40 count yarn. He said cotton with a length of 1-1/8 was important because the longer the cotton the finer it can be spun.

Australian varieties generally had good strength characteristics, which allows spinners to fit less fibres in a cross section of yarn, but still maintain a yarn's strength.

Further information:
CSD Extension and Development Team Wee Waa 0267950000,
Dalby 0746626050 or Goondiwindi 0746711648.

Video of Bob Baird and Jim Prendergast at www.csd.net.au