Ramsis Farag1, Yehia Elmogahzy1, Alaa Arafa Badr1, and Monir Hassan2. (1) Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering - Auburn University, 101 Textile Bldg., Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, (2) Mansoura University, Deparment of Textile Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, El-Mansoura, Egypt
In previous Bletwide Conferences, the present authors discussed a number of theoretical and practical aspects of cotton fiber blending. In theory, there are three well-established modes of blending that have been extensively analyzed by Elmogahzy in previous studies. These are structural blending, attributive blending, and appearance blending. Structural blending is defined as the extent of geometrical allocation of different fiber segments within the structural boundaries of the fiber strand. It is directly influenced by fiber attributes such as fiber fineness, fiber length, fiber crimp, and surface morphology. Appearance blending is the extent of homogenization of color in the fiber assembly. Attribute blending is defined by the allocation and integration of different fiber attributes within the characteristic boundaries of the fibrous assembly. In this paper, the concept of attributive blending is extended to cover cotton/synthetic blends in both fiber forms and yarn forms. The focus will be on specialty blends of cotton fibers for the sake of achieving certain functions such as hand, elasticity and moisture management.