The Compact Cotton Yarn

Artificial filaments have smooth surface and luster naturally because they are pulled out through a narrow nozzle. There is a processing called cire that increases the luster. For DuPont’s Trilobal, the shape of the fiber’s cross section is changed to a triangle to maximize the luster. Spark and bright yarn are other names for Trilobal. These days, the shiny artificial filaments are considered as cheap looking and losing popularity. Instead, full dull filaments made by adding dioxide titanium are in demand.

Ironically, cotton fibers made to look shiny like artificial filaments is very expensive. Untreated cotton has tiny fibers on its surface which prevent light reflection. There are many treatments to make shiny cotton fibers but they are quite complicated. Silket is one of these method used for making luster in cotton fibers for knitted fabrics. Cotton is made to look like silk through singeing, the process where tiny fibers on the surface of the fibers are burned away. The treatment is limited to cotton yarns in CM4’s, which are fine and expensive yarns that have been combed at least three times.

Mercerizing is another method that gives luster to cotton fibers. The crushed empty space inside the fiber called lumen is blown up, tightening and straightening the surface of the fiber. The expanded cotton has a smooth and shiny surface. Both silket and mercerizing methods damage the yarns. Making garment out of the damaged yarns can cause serious problems in tear strength.

Compact cotton yarn (CCY) overcomes these problems of silket and mercerizing. The strength of cotton fibers increases up to 20% when they are spun in CCY. Air is applied during the twisting process of spinning to force tiny fibers inward and make the surface of fiber smooth. CCY is thicker and voluminous. The weaving process is also improved by reducing the amount of starch required. Dyeing fabrics made of CCY results bright and even color. The only drawback of CCY is its high price. CCY shirts made in China cost around $3.00 to $4.00.