Effects of Friction Reduction On Fiber Damage in a Saw-Type Lint Cleaner

Recent research into the physics of cotton-fiber interactions with lint-cleaner machine surfaces has pointed to friction as a prominent factor leading to fiber damage.  Therefore, an experiment was conducted in which friction reduction was attempted by spraying various concentrations of an aqueous solution of lubricant on ginned lint prior to its passing through a saw-type lint cleaner.  Samples were collected before and after the lint cleaner, and the changes in number of neps and short-fiber content were compared among lubricant treatments.  In the first experiment, no relationship was found between lubricant application rate and change in nep content.  However, a modest but significant trend was found between lubricant application rate and change in short-fiber content.  These results as well as results from a second experiment covering a broader range of lubricant application rates will be presented in the manuscript.