White Speck, A Dye Defect In Mechanically and Hand Picked Cottons

The textile industry is often caught off guard by white specks showing up in dyed fabrics.  The current grading system does not always pick up the level of maturity that causes white specks.  Research using international cottons is aimed at finding high-speed measurement systems that can be used to predict the white speck potential of bale cotton. Cottons were gathered from the following countries: Australia, Brazil, China, Pakistan, Turkey, Uganda, the United State, Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe. Ultimately a White Speck Potential (WSP) measurement could be included in the HVI data that the mills currently use to buy cottons. By knowing the WSP, mills could eliminate white speck dye problems and still use those cottons for their other fiber properties and produce whites or pastels where the dyeability of the cotton is not a problem.  The cottons with a high WSP can also be combed or rotor spun to minimize white specks.  This will also be a useful tool for breeders so they can eliminate new varieties that are prone to high WSP early on in the breeding process.