7.3.2 Spinning of short staple fibres

The cottonised staple fibres can be spun on cotton or wool spinning machines, both by ring spinning as well as by rotor spinning. Ring spinning is a widely used method for spinning short textile fibres; it produces a fine, high-quality spun yarn that causes few problems in the subsequent production process. It is the best method for spinning yarn for knitted fabrics and for mixing different types of fibres ('blended fabrics').

Ring spinning of short staple fibres follows the same principle as ring spinning of long fibres (§7.1.5). Short staple fibres are most often dry spun; eventually, if the yarn becomes too hairy, a dip roller with water is used to obtain a more smooth yarn. With ring spinning of staple fibres, yarns with fineness in the range Nm 5 - 36 can be obtained.

Rotor spinning, also called open-end spinning, is 4 to 10 times faster than ring spinning. However, the resulting yarn feels slightly more rough, is slightly weaker and less resistant to abrasive movement than ring-spun yarn. An advantage is that the yarn is less transparent and evenness is more uniform than in ring spinning.

 Table: Comparison of yarn properties of ring-spun and rotor-spun yarns.

Typical applications of cottonised hemp fibre yarns: clothing (T-shirts, jeans), tablecloths, towels, bedlinen, hygiene products.

§7.3.2.1 Rotor spinning