October 7 is World Cotton Day, a celebration of the world’s most important natural fiber.

The fluffy fiber is found in many different products as an ideal and much-appreciated raw material. Cotton can be precisely described with 14 quality characteristics – focusing on length, strength, fineness, color, maturity, trash and moisture content of the fiber. The value of cotton as a raw material depends on its quality. Key factors are long and uniform fiber length, optimal fineness for each application and high strength for precious fibers.For spinning mills, cotton purchasing accounts for more than 50 per cent of costs. Some of the costliest mistakes in yarn manufacturing arise from poor control of the raw material at bale mix before spinning preparation. But fiber testing is also essential during the spinning preparation stages, to minimize any negative financial impact of excess waste, unnecessary cuts, reworking, and customer claims.Today, cotton fiber is found in clothing and cosmetics items. Applications span the invention of toilet paper to the recycling of denim pants into vehicle construction components.

The first evidence of cotton use was found in India and Pakistan, and dates back to around 6000 B.C. That means cotton’s been keeping people dressed for over 8000 years.