Closed-Boll Cotton Part I. Properties of Never-Dried Cotton Fibers Before and After Aqueous Formaldehyde Treatment

Cotton lint from closed bolls harvested at various stages approaching maturity had very high initial moisture content, water retention, and dye sorption. Values decreased as fibers matured. Equilibrium moisture contents of never-dried cotton by desorption to 93 and 87% relative humidity were much higher than those for rewet air-dried fibers. Tensile elongations of never-dried fibers were greater than those of rewet air-dried fibers only in the more mature samples. Under the condi tions employed, treatment of never-dried cotton with aqueous acidified formaldehyde solution did not preserve the very high sorptive properties.