MANUFACTURE OF NATURAL FABRICS

Manufacturing Process of Cotton Fibres

Cotton fabrics are processed from the bolls by the following steps:

(i) Ginning: This is the process of separating or removing cotton fibres from the seeds. The hairs left on the seeds after ginning are called

(ii) Baling: The ginned cotton is pressed into bales. The bales are sent to factory or mill.

(iii) Bale breaking: The tightly pressed cotton fibres from the bales are loosened inside a machine for the impurities to fall out.

(iv) Cleaning: The impurities in the cotton are removed in the mill.

(v) Carding: At this stage, many shorter fibres are removed. The longer ones are formed into thick ropes. The ropes are called

(vi) Combing: This is the process of removing more short fibres.

(vii) Drawing: This is the process of twisting the ropes and making them ready for spinning.

(viii) Spinning: This is the process of making the twisted into yarn or

(ix) Dyeing: The yarn can be bleached or dyed into different colours and woven into

(x) Weaving: The yarns are used to produce fabrics.