About Cotton

Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus Gossypium . The fiber is almost pure cellulose. Under natural conditions, the cotton bolls will increase the dispersal of the seeds.

This is called also as White Gold because of the economic significance it has. The fiber is most often spun into yarn or thread and used to make soft fabrics. In order to produce yarn out of cotton, the fibers should widely get spun and twisted together. The produced yarns are used to make fabrics.

Current estimates for world production are about 25 million annually, accounting for 2.5% of the world’s arable land. China is the world’s largest producer of cotton, but most of this is used domestically. The United States has been the world’s largest exporter for many years.

For the first period of times, fragments of cotton fabric dated to almost 1900 years BC have been found in the Sindh Valley in Southern Asia.

Cotton is used to make a number of textile products. These include terrycloth  bath towels and robes; denim , corduroy, seersucker, and cotton twill. Socks, underwear, and most T-shirts are made from cotton.

While many fabrics are made completely of cotton, some materials blend cotton with other fibers, including rayon and synthetic fibers such as polyester. It can either be used in knitted or woven fabrics, as it can be blended with elastin to make a stretchier thread for knitted fabrics, and apparel such as stretch jeans.