In the latest findings of the ITMF International Committee on Cotton Testing Methods, in cooperation with CIRAD, Fiber Institute Bremen and ICA Bremen, one important conclusion has been outlined:

due to its highest correlation with processing behaviour and yarn quality, only thermo-mechanical methods are recommended (in both production and trade).

In fact, the high variation in stickiness within a sample, as well as within a bale and within a lot, makes the thermo-mechanical method suitably designed for daily massive testing, in a trading context as well as in the spinning mill, thus overcoming the constraints of other methods (chemical and physical).

Among different thermo-mechanical equipment used in the ITMF-ICCTM proficiency testing, the CONTEST-S results were proven to provide the lowest inter laboratory CV% variations.

In order to supply a solution to overcome the troublesome effects of cotton stickiness (honeydew/sugar content), Mesdan developed a specific testing method as an integral part of its CONTEST-S and CONTEST-F equipment.

The STICKINESS module is distinguished by:

• fully automatic high-volume testing equipment designed to detect, measure and classify cotton stickiness,
  

• its unique feature of simulating the carding process like in real spinning conditions provides a reliable evaluation of the effective stickiness (cotton fibres tendency to stick to cotton-processing surfaces),
  

• stickiness grade and cotton stickiness risk probability assessment enables spinners to anticipate proper actions (how to process & blend different cotton bales),
  

• fast testing (30 sec/sample) designed for massive stickiness classification of bales and lots (>500 tests/shift),
  

• testing method for stickiness grading recognised by ITMF - ICCTM.