Long-staple cotton is the standard raw material for high-quality textiles
Cotton is one of the most demanded materials for textile production all over the world.
Types of cotton fiber
Cotton fiber is obtained from the bolls of ripe cotton.
Cotton seeds are covered with many hairs, they are collected and spun into cotton threads.
Cotton with different fiber lengths is used in production of textiles:
- short-staple, fiber length up to 26 mm
- medium-staple, fiber length up to 35 mm
- long-staple, fiber length within 45 mm
The length of the fiber determines the properties of the yarn. The longer and homogeneous is the fiber, the stronger and better the thread, and the fabric is thinner, lighter and softer.
Long-staple Egyptian cotton
High-quality long-staple cotton often can be found under the name “Egyptian cotton” and “Barbadian cotton”, which grows in Egypt, Pakistan, India, Brazil, Peru.
This variety has a low yield and requires special climatic conditions.
Thanks to Egypt's temperature climate, cotton grown in the Nile Delta is considered the best in the world.
The transformation of fibers into yarn and thread is an intermediate step in the production of fabrics.
Еhe combed spinning method is used for long-staple cotton
The combed spinning method is a combination of the fiber drawing method with additional combing on special machines. With this method, short fibers are removed, and long ones are straightened, pulled into ribbons and arranged in parallel. The result is homogeneous, strong, thin yarns and a clean, smooth and compact yarn, with minimal fluctuations in thickness, density and twist.
Extra-long and thin fibers do not need strong finishing, this has a positive effect on the characteristics of the fabric:
- gloss is retained
- softness
- elasticity
- smoothness
The most elegant and expensive fabrics are made from cotton with long fibers: batiste, taffeta, voile, percale, etc.
The use of long-staple cotton
Today Egyptian cotton is synonymous with quality. It is an environmentally friendly hypoallergenic material.
Branded clothing of the most famous brands is made exclusively from long-staple cotton.
But the use of this high-quality raw material is not limited to the fashion industry and luxury home textiles.
Work clothes based on Egyptian cotton are distinguished not only by increased tactile comfort, but also meet modern requirements for occupational safety and functionality:
- high wear resistance
- resistance to abrasion and tearing loads
- excellent indicators of hygroscopicity and breathability
- Peeling resistance
- resistance to repeated high-temperature washing, up to 60°C
- dimensional stability
- presentable appearance of the finished product
STG is the official representative of the top manufacturers of fabrics and flame retardant materials based on long-staple cotton: Sapphire Group and Daletec.
