- Once picked, cotton is pressed into rectangular, truck-sized blocks called modules
- Cotton modules are then transported to a cotton gin for the first stage of processing
- Cotton gins are factories that separate cottonseed and trash from lint (raw cotton fibre)
- A cotton gin can produce up to 60 cotton bales an hour
- A cotton bale weighs 227kg
- Cottonseed represents 55 per cent of ginned cotton’s weight
- Cottonseed can be planted for the following season’s crop, fed to livestock and poultry or crushed for oil
- Cottonseed oil is extracted from the seed and can be used in the manufacture of plastics, cosmetics, cooking oil, margarine and candles
- Cotton fibre represents 35-40% of ginned cotton’s weight
- Cotton fibre is compacted into bales and exported mostly to Asian spinning mills
- Linters are the tiny fibres that remain attached to the cottonseed after ginning is complete
- Linters are used to produce cotton paper, x-rays and cotton buds
- Trash represents the remaining 10 per cent of ginned cotton’s weight and comprises leaves and sticks
- The trash is sometimes used in products that clean up oil spills and also in ethanol manufacturing
- Following the ginning process, samples of cotton are collected from each bale for classing purposes
- Cotton classing sorts the fibre into different quality based grades. The better the fibre quality, the higher the grade and the more the grower is paid
- There are many factors in cotton classing that determine the grade including colour, staple length, fibre strength, micronaire, neps, stickiness and trash content
- Turning cotton fibre into fabric involves several distinct manufacturing processes including combing, carding, spinning, blending and dyeing
- Cotton fibre is spun into yarn before being woven or knitted into fabric
- Cotton fabric can also be “finished” to change its look and feel. Special characteristics are sometimes added including durable press, water repellence, flame resistance and shrinkage control
