Using Partial Least Squares Regression to Obtain Cotton Fiber Length Distributions From the Beard Testing Method

For the purpose of improving cotton fiber length measurements and expanding the application of the test result, we have been trying to obtain the fiber length distribution from the rapid beard testing method.  The beard testing method is based on the fibrogram theory.  However, in its industrial implementations, the engineering complexity alters the original fiber length distribution observed by the instrument.  This causes challenges in obtaining the entire original length distribution of a cotton sample.  We implemented Partial Least Squares Regression algorithm to study the relationship between the observed length distribution in fiber beards and the original length distribution, thus provided a new approach to estimate the original length distribution from the observed length distribution.