The use of the high speed stickiness detector on a large range of cotton coming from different countries

For some years now, all those involved in the cotton industry, from grower to spinner, have become increasingly concerned by the stickiness encountered during cotton-to-yarn processing, and have attempted to find a remedy. Unfortunately, even today it is very difficult to precisely identify producer countries affected by this problem as stickiness is governed by several factors which induce annual and spatial variations that modify its intensity. Also, no official system is yet available to classify this criterion. Furthermore, as this phenomenon has already produced marked economic effects, information concerning the origins of contaminated cottons is not always made available. Numerous detection methods have been developed to measure stickiness and reduce its effects. The CIRAD technology laboratory has developed two thermomechanical methods for this detection; the SCT thermodetector and the high-speed H2SD. Both systems are presented here and have been used to measure cottons from various origins.