Cotton top.

Cotton processing research adds value to Australia's crop

CSIRO research is raising the processing productivity and the output quality of Australian cotton at every stage of production, from harvested fibre to fabric.

• 19 February 2010 | Updated 14 October 2011

• What we can do
• Quality machinery, trusted results
• How CSIRO uses its expertise

CSIRO’s Cotton Textile Research Unit is dedicated to enhancing the quality and attractiveness of Australian cotton in international markets, with the objectives of raising demand and attracting price premiums.

Australia ranks third among cotton exporting countries, growing 17 per cent of the world’s high-grade medium staple cotton.

What we can do

Our expertise includes:

• fibre quality management, through improved processing methods
• innovative approaches to ginning
• improvement of bleaching and dyeing technologies
• designing new cotton and cotton blend products
• designing electronic and computerised instruments for quality and process control
• trusted confidential relationships with overseas cotton mills.

Quality machinery, trusted results

Our processing facility at CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, Geelong is one of the best-equipped cotton research facilities in the world.

Our equipment was sourced from some of the world’s most respected manufacturers and includes:

• Truetzschler blow room
• Truetzschler DK 903 card
• Truetzschler HSR 1000 draw frame
• Zinser 660 speed frame
• two Zinser ring spinning machines (RM 350)
• Schlafhörst AC 238 Winding machine
• Schlafhörst rotor spinning unit (SE 8 with SE 11 retrofit)
• Murata Vortex Spinner (MVS 810)
• a complete industrial-scale pilot ginning plant (on the point of commissioning).

CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, Geelong also maintains modern weaving and knitting facilities, which form part of our multi-fibre research and development capabilities.

How CSIRO uses its expertise

We process trial batches as small as 30 kg, to investigate:

• the effects of harvesting practices and ginning on fibre and yarn quality
• the fibre traits required by new spinning technologies
• new cotton processing technologies from fibre to fabric.

Our new instrument systems for detecting immature fibres and measuring fibre fineness have been trialled and verified internationally, building on years of CSIRO innovation in fibre measurement.

CSIRO also offers:

• a NATA-certified testing laboratory
• customised training in all aspects of fibre, yarn, fabric and dyeing technologies
• consultancies for process improvement.

Learn more about CSIRO's work in Cotton.