Raw Materials

• Manufacturers make cotton string from fiber that grows on the seedpods of cotton plants. In nature, these fibers serve a dual purpose. They both protect the seeds and help in seed disbursal by floating on the wind, carrying fertilized seeds to new ground. This fluff remains on the cotton seed after ginning, at which time producers remove and use it as the raw material to create cotton string and twine.
  
  

Manufacture

• Cotton fiber is prepared for spinning by cleaning it to remove debris and impurities, and then combing it to align all of the fibers. Manufacturers spin small bits of fiber together to create a long, thin strand or ply. They spin three or four plies together to produce cotton string. Manufacturers can give the string additional strength by braiding the plies instead of twisting them. Plying finished strings together until the desired thickness is reached creates even stronger cotton string.
  
  

Strength

• Technological advancement in the cotton industry has improved cotton production, increasing both output and the quality of the product. In 1984, cotton grown in the United States had a strength rating of 26 grams per tex, which increased to 29 grams per tex by 1995. A tex is the unit used to measure textile strength, and equals the weight in grams of 1000 m of fiber. This increased cotton's fiber strength rating from average to strong, according to the grading scale used by the United States department of agriculture.
  
  

Uses

• Sewing and textile applications use cotton string, but it has a much wider array of applications. You can find cotton string used in nearly any application that requires tying, such as fastening garden plants to support structures or securing the wrapping around fresh meat. Candle wicks are primarily made from cotton string, and plied cotton strings can produce twine or rope. Shorter, unused fibers can serve as filler in gunpowder, mops and automotive upholstery.