52 International Journal of Fiber and Textile Research 2013; 3(2): 52-56 ISSN 2277-7156 Original Article EXPLORATION OF THE VALIDITY OF UTILIZING DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF COLOR ATTRIBUTES TO SIGNALIZE AND SIGNIFY THE LINT GRADE OF EGYPTIAN COTTONS Khaled. M. Hussein * , Ibrahim. A. Ebaido and Mostafa M. Kamal Cotton Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt. Email: kkholio@hotmail.com * Received 31 March 2013; accepted 30 April 2013 Abstract The present study was undertaken in quest of exploring the possible validity of the use of different color attributes of cotton fibers either individually or in combinations to provide accurate and reliable characterization and identification of lint grade in Egyptian cottons. The objective is to develop and update the old conventional cotton grading system currently in use in Egypt and in many other countries. The materials used in the study comprised the 6 Egyptian cotton varieties Giza 70, Giza 80, Giza 86, Giza 88, Giza 90 and Giza 92. From each of those varieties 6 lint cotton grades ranging from Good Fair (GF) up to Good/ Fully Good (G/FG) in increments of ½ grade were considered in the study. Each grade sample was represented by 6 replications. The findings of the study clarified that , on account of their color attributes both Giza 86 and Giza 92 proved to have the lightest white color among the Egyptian cotton varieties while on the contrary Giza 80 and Giza 90 were found to have a dark creamy color. Giza 70 had a chalky white color i.e. its whiteness is less than either Giza 86 or Giza 92, whereas Giza 88 had a creamy color. Further, it was found that lightness (Rd %) appeared to have the most influence than any other color attribute on cotton grade. In fact , lightness expressed as percent reflectance (Rd%) evidently excelled all other color attributes with respect to their correlations with lint cotton grade and their contributions to the variation in grade of either the white or the creamy colored Egyptian cotton varieties. Hence it was concluded that lightness per se expressed as percent reflectance (Rd %) could be sufficient enough as an individual criterion to signalize and signify the grade of Egyptian cottons, and hence predicting that grade. © 2013 Universal Research Publications. All rights reserved Keywords: Color attributes – Lint grade – Egyptian cotton. 1. INTRODUCTION The main attributes determining the color of raw cotton are hue, brilliance and chroma. Hue is simply the name of color such as white, creamy, brown, red, green, etc. Brilliance is the lightness or darkness of color while chroma is the degree of intensity of yellow color or in brief the degree of yellowness. When cotton is picked shortly after boll opening to avoid exposure to weather effect, the cotton would have a bright color. By contrast leaving the cotton unpicked in the field for a long time, would change the color of cotton where it becomes dark and dull, i.e. less bloomy color. However, [1] stated that if cotton is left in the field for a sufficient length of time under unfavourable weather conditions, its grade would be low either by darkening in color or by becoming gray or tinged or even blue or yellow stained. [2] Attributed color change directly to microbial action where they reported that the samples of cotton after 12 weeks of weathering were found to contain fungi, largely Alternaria, Cladosporium and Fusarium, while the unweathered samples were relatively free from fungi. [3] Pointed out that darkening or graying in color of cotton fibers takes place during humid preharvest weathering and this darkening is a strong determinant of grade. [4] Referred to that brilliance of cotton color changes materially from the highest to the lowest grade largely because of the alteration in trash content and partly because of small concomitant changes in the color of the actual fibers. Nevertheless, [2] classified the sources of color in raw cotton into dirt, fiber geometry or morphology, intrinsic color and extrinsic color. They clarified that dirt includes trash, foreign matter and other impurities, which are mechanically removable. Fiber geometry or morphology as a source of color refers to such physical effects as due to curl, twist, and cross-sectional shape. Intrinsic color is the inherent genetic color of cotton determined by the variety. Extrinsic color is the color, Available online at http://www.urpjournals.com International Journal of Fiber and Textile Research Universal Research Publications. All rights reserved