Cotton: The New Generation

By Kim Anderson

Cotton has always been the workhorse of fibers, making it one of the best choices for denim. It has also made an appearance on the finer side of fabrics—showing up in high end garments adorned with satin stitches, sequins, and embroidery. However, cotton has had to combat specific drawbacks that have made it a challenge to get into some venues. New innovations are opening the doors to this age-old fiber—putting it in the limelight of some unexpected products.

Improved Moisture Management

Cotton is an absorbent fiber; however, it dries slowly because the absorbed moisture must be evaporated from the fiber. Since the 1990s the research team at Cotton Incorporated has been pursuing and improving technologies that manage moisture in cotton fabrics, including Wicking Windows, Storm Cotton, and TransDry technologies. Wicking Windows technology transfers moisture away from the skin to the surface of the fabric where it evaporates. The technology is applied via the printing process. Mary Ankeny, Vice President, Product Development & Implementation Operations at Cotton Incorporated, says the technology is most often applied to the back side of the fabric. When the wearer perspires, the Wicking Widows technology channels moisture to the front of the fabric through an engineered print pattern, resulting in quick evaporation, reduced fabric cling, and improved breathable comfort. Storm Cotton technology repels moisture from the surface of the fabric while still maintaining the natural comfort and breathability of cotton. Fabric treated with Storm Cotton technology dries faster than untreated cotton. The technology can be applied in both fabric and garment form. Cotton knit with TransDry technology – Circled area shows the moisture spreading horizontally, Courtesy of Cotton Incorporated TransDry technology reduces the ability of cotton to absorb moisture. This technology is applied to yarns. Yvonne Machilek Johnson, Senior Director of Product Development at Cotton Incorporated, says that many different performance attributes can be achieved depending on the fabric construction. Some constructions cause the moisture to spread—allowing the moisture to evaporate quickly. Johnson says they have also created french terry knits and woven twills with TransDry-treated cotton yarns and untreated cotton yarns. The side of the fabric that is against the skin is composed of the treated yarns, whereas untreated yarns are on the front side of the fabric. The moisture migrates toward the front side of the fabric, where it evaporates without compromising the breathability and comfort of the garment. Ankeny points out that her team is constantly improving these technologies by optimizing formulations and pursuing safer chemicals. In the last few years, they have concentrated on transitioning over to non-fluorinated technologies. Ankeny says that Cotton Incorporated stays current by following Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), which encourages companies to discontinue the use of more concerning chemicals that can adversely affect the health and safety of the environment.

Abrasion Resistance

Fabrics made from cotton may have a low resistance to abrasion. The team at Cotton Incorporated developed Tough Cotton technology for this very reason. The technology imparts increased durability and improved abrasion resistance. This technology was originally designed for denim and khaki fabric, but Ankeny says it is now being used in knit fabrics, specifically children’s wear. She says Tough Cotton can also be used in dress shirts and pants to reduce abrasion on the cuffs, collars, and hems. Fabrics can also be treated with a combination of Tough Cotton technology and a moisture management or durable press technology for dual performance.

Sheer Appearance

Upland cotton has a larger diameter than some fibers, which makes it a challenging fiber to produce sheer fabrics. Johnson says her product development team is successfully producing sheer cotton-rich fabric constructions by incorporating fine continuous filaments and monofilaments. They have also developed open woven constructions by exploring different warp yarn setts such as skipping dents as well as mock leno weaves.

Natural Stretch

Like most cellulosic fibers, cotton has low elongation and elastic recovery. Johnson explains that they have explored different woven constructions and finishes that achieve up to 20% stretch in the width—depending on the weight of the fabric. Cotton Incorporated calls this Natural Stretch technology. By spacing out the warp yarns and then finishing with a slack mercerization process to set the fabric at a permanent width—durable stretch is imparted into a 100% biodegradable cotton fabric without the need for spandex or other stretch fibers.

Lightweight Draping Fabrics

The specific gravity of cotton is higher than polyester and nylon, which means that cotton fabric feels heavier in weight than fabrics constructed from polyester or nylon. In addition, compared to some fibers, cotton has a relatively high resistance to bending which affects the drapability of cotton fabrics. Johnson says her team has successfully produced fabrics with enhanced drape and lighter weight by incorporating high twist yarns—which result in a fabric that has a crepe-like feel. They have also experimented with using both S and Z twist yarns in a fabric construction. By alternating S and Z twist yarns, they can knit a more open sheer construction and minimize torque or skew. She also says they have produced high-drape fabric by using fine count yarns in a fine gauge interlock knit to create fabrics that rival other fibers’ ability to drape.

Warming Effects

The cotton fiber has moderately high heat conductivity which keeps the wearer cool in hot weather. To create a cotton-rich fabric that keeps the wearer warmer in cold weather, Johnson says they are incorporating a graphene-coated nylon yarn. The graphene yarn is placed on the surface of the fabric, whereas the inner surface is composed of 100% cotton in a double face, double knit construction. The graphene absorbs infrared heat which keeps the wearer warm. This lightweight fabric is used as a base layer. Although cotton has been used in a wide range of textile products, some properties inherent to the fiber have made it challenging to use in certain applications. However, through new innovations, cotton fibers are finding their way into unexpected products. ### The author: Kim Anderson has worked in the textile industry for more than 25 years as a designer, product developer, educator, and researcher.