Hand-Powered Centrifuge Made from Cotton for Assessing Hematocrit

The hematocrit value test serves as a parameter to help reach an established diagnosis. A centrifuge is an equipment that is used to separate the components of blood from each other based on the properties of each constituent substance. This study aims to developing hand-powered centrifuge made from cotton material to assess the hematocrit of blood in pregnant and non-pregnant ewes. To make the Katunfuge, two circles were cut from a piece of cotton cloth that had been impregnated with batik wax. The knitting thread was inserted into the middle part of the cotton disc and each end rope was tied to the handler. The centrifugal speed resulted from Katunfuge was greater than 2,000 rpm, meaning that it is 99% effective for separating blood components in 15 minutes with 14 times of pulling with hands. The hematocrit values of pregnant ewes (33.0 ± 4.1) were lower than those of non-pregnant ewes (38.5 ± 3.4%). This has proven that Katunfuge is highly potential to be used to assess the hematocrit of other animals.

A Study of Wickability of Gauze Products for Infant

Gauze is an excellent material for infant apparel which can made in various forms and by a variety of methods, and thus have attracted great attention in baby care market. This study aims to identify the wicking property of the gauze fabric in baby care products, and to analyse the relationships between the wicking ability and fabric structure of baby soft gauze products. The experimental results revealed that a significant difference occurred for the gauze in the wicking ability. The cotton gauzes were found to show higher wicking rate than bamboo counterparts because of the higher hydrophilic property of cotton material. The fiber content and structure of fabric were the major parameters that affects the wicking ability.

Examining Moisture Management Property of Socks

The wearing comfort of socks can be affected by the fabric properties of liquid moisture management. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between the fabric parameters and moisture management of sock fabrics. The moisture management of socks fabric was measured by the moisture management tester according to AATCC 195-2012. It was found that the cotton sock fabrics were waterproof before washing. This may be due to hydrophobic treatment. The cotton material seems not to be suitable for moisture transfer.

Elemental and Infrared Characterization of Contaminants in Second-Hand Cotton Garments From Flea Markets In Valencia City, Bukidnon, Philippines

The use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) characterizations have been indispensable techniques in distinguishing purity of the samples. These techniques give spectra that will be used to analyze the composition, morphology, purity, among others, of the material. One of its interesting applications is to assess elemental and chemical contaminations on second hand clothing. In this study, second hand (Ukay-Ukay) cotton garments from selected flea market sites in Valencia City, Bukidnon, Philippines were examined quantitatively for microbial and chemical contaminations by using FTIR, SEM, and EDX. The FTIR results obtained in both sites showed broad peaks at ~3336 cm-1 attributed to OH functional group, and absorption peaks at 2901.30 cm-1 associated to C-H bond, 1159.70 cm-1, 1107.44 cm-1 and 1053.82 cm-1 attributed to the stretches of CO bond. All of them were characteristics of cotton material. We observed degradation of the cotton material on both sites evident in the decreasing intensity of OH stretching (at peaks around ~3334 cm -1 [site A] and ~3332 cm -1 [site B]) and C-O stretching (around ~1500-1700 cm-1). These were due to the presence of microorganisms such as fungi (e.g. Aspergillus species). The degradation was also observed in the SEM results. Furthermore, peaks related to carboxylate contaminants were observed in both sites around ~1600 – 1800 cm-1 that may be caused by the exposure of the cotton garments in hydrochloric acid (HCl). In general, the characterization results on both sites indicated traces of microorganisms and that the second-hand cotton clothes were contaminated by hazardous chemicals.

Theoretical Simulation of the Temperature Increasing Induced by the Friction between Cotton Packages and Iron Floor during the Transportation by Train

The purpose of this study is to investigate the fire possibility of the cotton packages by the friction heating during the transportation by train. Theoretical simulation was conducted for the friction heating with a typical amplitude and frequency. The results suggest that the hot point induced by the sliding friction between the iron string joints around the package and the iron floor is the heat source for the heat transfer progress. It is also illustrated that the calculated temperatures on the surface of cotton package near the friction point are still a little lower that the rapid pyrolysis temperature of cotton material in a rather worse situation. However, more and more heat may accumulate inside the cotton package if there is a long-time heating for it. The smoldering of the cotton packages may still happen and turn into a cotton fire in train when there are also some other factors at the same time.

Comparison of the Properties of Akund/Cotton Blended Yarn Produced by Compact Spinning with Pure Cotton Yarn

As a kind of environment-friendly fiber, akund will create considerable interest in the apparel industry due to its fine luster, good moisture absorption, renewable and pollution free feature. This research is a comparative study of the physical properties of akund/cotton material and pure cotton material. Results show that the enhanced structure of akund/cotton compact yarn typically results in a lower hairiness and improved mechanical properties. However, the weaving of this kind akund/cotton blended yarn may meet a lot difficulty since its tenacity value hardly meet the minimum value calls for weaving. Another important guidance is that it necessary to reduce short fiber content that may be present in the yarn structure to adopt best evenness.