Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-12-04
Chemical Treatment
For Cotton Produces
Strong, Cheap Thread
BY HOWARD w. BLAKELEE,
Associated Press Science Editor.

DANVILLE, Va, Dec. 4.-Spin-
ming is eliminated from the manu-
facture of cotton by a revolution
airy chemical process developed here
Spinning, which twists fibers to-
gether to form yarns, threads and
cord, has been virtually in universal
use.
The new process starts with the
same raw materials long. fluffy
white strand of cotton fibers known
as rowing.
Instead of spinning, this process
squeezes the fluffy cotton. The
thread is made in a single step
instead of the two or more required
when spun.
The new thread is stronger
smaller in size, less expensive to
manufacture.
The method is described in the
proceedings of the American AS
ISOLATION Of Textile Chemists and
Colorists by H. M. Chase, director
of the research division Of River
side and Dan Cotton Mills, Inc. IT
was perfected some months ago and
is in production.
Utilizes Natural Twist.
Short staple cotton. made up In
the new way, is as strong as long
staple when the latter is spun. Long
staple is proportionately strength
ened by the new process, but short
staple is Americas largest cotton
corp. The Federal Government now
Is holding about 100000 bales OF
cotton, mostly short staple. The
prospective value and use Of this
Federal holding may be enhanced
by the spinless technique.
The new process depends on
taking fuller advantage than spin
ming of very slight, natural twist
of the single hair of cotton. fiber
about an inch long and 1000 times
longer than its own thickness. This
twist is about one-fifteenth of full
turn. To this little twist the cot
ton fiber owes much Of its strength
Spinning never has taken ad-
vantage of more than one-third OF
the natural strength in cotton. Fol-
example, If one-inch cotton rope
could utilize the entire strength OF
its fibers, it could hold the weight
of 50-ton tank.
Chemical Freezes Twist.
In spinning, the cotton strands
are twisted around each other to
gain strength. Up to a certain
point there is gain, but there is
also limit; with too much twisting
the fibers cut each other.
The new process leaves the fibers
untwlsted, in the nearly parable,
positions they hold in the origina
rowing. This rowing is pulled, longi-
tudinally. The slight stretch thus
used causes the natural twist OF
each fiber to curl slightly against
its neighbor, with the effect of get
ting tight grip on the other fiber
A synthetic chemical treatment
goes along with the stretching, SC
that when the cotton is compressed
to thread or yarn size the little
twists and their millions of clasps
and the dimensions are permanently
set.
Little Stretch Left.
The result: If rowing has the
original strength of IA pounds, spin
ming gives it 1914 pounds and the
new process 1884 pounds.
At the latter strength there is lit
! tie stretch left in the cord. If more
stretch is wanted, that can be done
Then the final strength is less thar
the maximum. But it always is more
than the strength Of the same spur
cotton.
Mr.. Chase said the new cotton
yarn can be made soft and flexible
or hard as wire, and that new devel-
opments offer thousands of syn.
thetic resins that can be used in
this process, for producing colors
mildew-proofng, fire-proofing ane
many other special properties de.
sirable in textiles.