Colored cotton
Natural colored cotton is a new type of cotton cultivated using modern science and technology such as biogenetic engineering. The cotton fiber has various natural colors when it is spun in the field, so it is called “natural colored cotton”. It complies with the consumer fashion and requirements of consumers who are constantly pursuing health care, comfort and high-end, and has attracted great attention from many countries in the world.
History of colored cotton
The cultivation and use history of original natural colored cotton is earlier than that of white cotton. According to reports, the original natural colored cotton is native to the American continent. The indigenous peoples of Peru planted and used colored cotton thousands of years ago. The earliest record of planting colored cotton in my country was in 1819 in Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas where cloth woven from purple cotton (brown) was exported to Europe.
However, with the rapid development of the textile and printing and dyeing industries and the maturity of breeding technology, people have developed fibers with good quality and high yield. The white cotton fibers are specially dyed and spun into gorgeous and colorful fabrics. However, the original natural colored cotton has been neglected due to its unstable color, poor fiber quality, low output and other shortcomings, and has been replaced by white cotton with high use value.
Since the 1970s, as the international community has paid increasing attention to environmental protection issues and people have advocated and returned to nature, The rise of cotton and the rapid development of biotechnology have created conditions and opportunities for the development and utilization of colored cotton. Therefore, major cotton-producing countries in the world have used biotechnology to carry out research on colored cotton, and have achieved preliminary results.
Morphological characteristics
Let’s first take a look at the comparison between colored cotton and white cotton of different colors:
△Figure 1: Colored cotton and white flour Surface morphology of fiber (magnification 500 times)
△Figure 2: Cross-section of colored cotton and white cotton fibers ( Magnification 5000 times)
△Figure 3: SEM photos of the longitudinal shape of colored cotton and white fibers (magnification 500 times)
As can be seen from the above picture and table:
The longitudinal direction of natural colored cotton is similar to that of white cotton. They are both irregularly curved flat bodies, thicker in the middle, slightly thinner at the root, and thinnest at the tip. Fibers with good maturity are in the shape of twisted ribbons longitudinally, with more twists; fibers with poor maturity are in the shape of thin ribbons, with few curls.
The cross-section of colored cotton fibers is similar to that of white cotton, with a waist-round shape and a cell cavity in the middle. The difference is that the cross-sectional area of green cotton is smaller than that of white cotton, that is, the fibers are thinner than white cotton, the secondary cell wall is much thinner than that of white cotton, and the cell cavity is much larger than that of white cotton, and is U-shaped. The cross-section of brown cotton is similar to that of white cotton. The fiber secondary cell wall and cross-sectional area are plumper than green cotton, but the cell cavity is larger than that of white cotton.
Colored cotton performance
01 Colored Cotton Advantages
Comfortable: skin-friendly, non-irritating to the skin, and in line with environmental protection and human health requirements.
Anti-static: Due to the high moisture regain of cotton fiber, it does not produce static electricity or pilling.
Good sweat permeability: absorbs sweat and micro-sweat on human skin, quickly returning body temperature to normal, truly achieving breathability and sweat absorption Effect.
The environmentally friendly properties and natural color of colored cotton are very in line with the taste needs of modern people. Since it has not been treated with any chemical, certain Some varieties of yarns and fabrics still retain some cotton seed hulls, reflecting their return to nature.
Therefore, product development makes full use of this feature to achieve soft, natural and elegant color, and leisurely style.Mainly based on ��, and then penetrate into the fashion trends of the season.
The image of clothing products reflects solemnity and elegance while being relaxed and natural, while the image of home textiles reflects warmth and comfort while giving people a feeling of returning to nature. .
02 Colored Cotton Disadvantages
Colored cotton has a single color
Colored cotton types are usually divided according to fiber color. At present, the basic types of colored cotton in the world are only There are two kinds: brown and green. However, due to different color depths, different scholars have large differences in fiber color classification and identification.
Insufficient color is an important factor restricting the development and promotion of natural colored cotton.
The fiber color is unstable
Because the colors of colored cotton are naturally formed, the colors of the cotton fibers grown are often slightly different, and it is impossible to print and dye them as uniformly as white cotton, which will affect the quality of its products.
The spinnability is not high
Colored cotton fibers are short and thin, with low strength, so their spinnability is lower than that of white cotton, and the cost of spinning is high. This is the crux that restricts the large-scale development and use of natural colored cotton. At present, generally colored cotton fabrics are blended products of colored cotton and long-staple cotton or other fibers, with the purpose of improving its spinnability.
Clothes made from printed and dyed fabrics are less bright and bright
There is a layer of wax on the surface of cotton fibers. During the dyeing and finishing of ordinary white cotton, chemical substances are used to eliminate wax, pectin, slurry, etc. In addition, the color of the dye is bright and the visual contrast is large, so it is bright. Colored cotton is not treated with chemicals during processing and still retains the characteristics of natural fibers, thus producing a hazy visual effect.
Natural colored cotton fiber is soft and feels good. Its clothing has soft color, simple style, pure texture, comfortable and safe feeling, and conforms to the People have a mentality of returning to basics and using natural colors, so their textiles can be called the “darlings of the 21st century” and known as “the second healthy human skin”. They cater to the needs of the market and are the most popular green textiles in the international green textile market in the 21st century. One of the products with great development potential. The development of natural colored cotton is the development direction of green textiles. Wearing natural colored cotton textiles is a symbol of people’s high-quality life, which is in line with the development trend of people’s clothing needs and the trend of returning to nature.
According to the prediction of the International Council of Organic Agriculture: In the next 30 years, 30% of the total global cotton production will be colored cotton and organic Replaced by cotton. In the 21st century, 60-70% of the world’s population will use natural colored cotton products. Natural colored cotton textiles will enter the homes of ordinary people.
