Comprehensive Report on Cotton as a Natural Polymer: Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive overview of cotton as a natural polymer, delving into its historical significance, chemical composition, and structural properties. The report traces the history of cotton cultivation from ancient civilizations in India and the Americas through the Industrial Revolution, highlighting its evolution and impact on global trade and textile manufacturing. It examines the structure of cotton fibers, emphasizing the role of cellulose and the various layers of the fiber cell. Furthermore, the report details the synthesis of cotton, the cultivation process, and various applications of cotton, including its environmental impacts. The report concludes with a summary of the key findings and a bibliography of cited sources.

Report on Cotton as a Natural Polymer 1
REPORT ON COTTON AS A NATURAL POLYMERS
A Report Paper on Cotton By
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Report on Cotton as a Natural Polymer 2
TABLE OF CONTENT
Item Page
INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………….…….3
History...............................................................................................................….........4
Subcontinent of India…………………………………………………………..4
Americas…………………………………………………………………..........4
Middle Ages……………………………………………………........................5
Europe………………………………….............................................................5
Early modern period……………………………………………………………6
Egypt …………………………………………………………………………..6
East India Company ………………………………………..............................7
Industrial revolution……………………………………..................................7
Structure of Cotton…………………………………………………………………….7
Chemical Composition of Cotton …………………………………………………….8
Synthesis of Cotton……………………………………………………………………9
Use…………………………………………………………………………………….10
Environmental Impacts……………………………………………………………….14
CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………..……………14
Bibliography……………………………………………………………..……………15

Report on Cotton as a Natural Polymer 3
INTRODUCTION
The polymer is a large macromolecule or molecule comprised of many subunits that are
repeated. The polymers range from synthetic plastic-like polystyrene and natural biopolymers
like protein and DNA that are fundamental to biological functions and structures. Synthetic
polymers are ones that are made by man and are categorized as thermosets, thermoplastics,
synthetic fibers and elastomers, also they are available at the products of consumers like
superglue and money. Natural polymers are gotten naturally from plants and animals and
examples are rubber, cellulose, proteins, cotton and starch. In this report paper, cotton is
discussed as a natural polymer, it is a natural fiber gotten from the cotton plant which grows
anywhere in the world like China, India and united states and its seasons of growing last six to
seven months.
The Cotton is a staple and soft fiber which is cultivated in bolls, or the areas that are
protected case around the cotton plant seed of the Gossypium genus that belongs to Malvaceae
family. Cotton is a cellulose that is pure and dispersal of the seed is high under conditions that
are natural and is done by bolls of cotton. The shrub is an inherent subtropical and tropical all
over the world, comprising the India, Africa and Americas. Cotton is domesticated
independently in the old and new worlds and its greatest diversity of its species in Mexico, then
Australia and Africa. The fibers are frequently whirled into thread or yarn and are important in
the manufacturing of breathable and soft textile (Allen, 2010).
The figure 1 above shows the image of the cotton plant
There are four species of cotton that are grown commercially, all antiquity domesticated.
 Gossypium hirsutum: It’s the cotton of upland
 Gossypium barnase: this is the staple cotton
 Gossypium arboretum: is a cotton tree
 Gossypium herbaceum: (Bells, 2011).
History

Report on Cotton as a Natural Polymer 4
Subcontinent of India
The evidence that was early of the use of cotton in the India subcontinent has been gotten
at sites of Rakhigirhi and Mergarh where the threads of cotton have been established kept in the
beads of cotton. These findings have been dated to the period of Neolithic that is between 5000
and 6000 BC (Bells, 2016). The cultivation of cotton in the sites is dated to the civilization of the
valley of Indus, between 1300 and 3300 BC. The industry of cotton of Indus was developed well
and several of the methods used in fabrication and spinning of cotton was used until India's
industrial development. Between 1000 and 2000 BC, cotton spread worldwide across India, like
it has been gotten at sites of hallus near Karnataka from the period of 1000BC (Bells, 2016).
Americas
The fabrics of cotton were established in Tehran near the cave. The cultivation of the
Gossypium hirsutum in Mexico is dating between 2300 and 3400 BC. The Gossypium
barnadense cultivation in Peru have been dated and was the backbone the development of the
coastal culture like Moche, Norte Chico and Nazca. The growing of cotton was taking place
upriver, traced with fishing villages and made into nests along the cost for the large supply of
fish. The Spanish that went Peru and Mexico in the beginning of 16th century got the individuals
growing and wearing and growing cotton (Bledzki, 2015). Other places where cotton was
discovered are Iran China and Arabia.
Middle ages
Egyptian spun and grew cotton from 6 to 700 CE, the roller of handheld for ginning
cotton had been put into practice since the 6th century in India and was introduced to other
countries from there. The roller of dual gins was invented in China between 12th and 14th century.
The version of India was throughout Mediterranean trade cotton by the 16th century and in other
places, the device was driven by power from water. The wheel that spin was established between
500 and 100 AD to India (Brown, 2013).
Cotton became known as imported fiber between the periods of mediaeval in northern
Europe. It was anticipated that a given plant was not a shrub but a tree and was producing cotton
and those imagines that cotton is being produced by sheep borne plant. Cotton manufacture of

Report on Cotton as a Natural Polymer 5
cotton was established to the Europe during the takeover of Muslims of Iberian Peninsula Sicily.
The knowledge of weaving cotton spread to northern Italy by the 12th century (Buckley, 2011).
The figure 2 above shows the cotton plant that was imagined in the 14th century in Europe.
Early modern period
From early 16th to 18th century the production of cotton was high and both cotton textiles
and raw cotton. The Mughals introduced the reforms of agrarian like the new system of revenue
that was prejudiced in favor of high crops that are grown for cash values like cotton, giving
motivations of cash crops growing and addition increasing the demand of the market. The large
manufacturing industry in Mughals Empire was cotton manufacturing textile which comprised
the production of calicos, piece goods and muslins, available variety of colors and unbleached
(Chand, 2011).
The cotton textile also was responsible for the international trade and Indians cotton
textiles were the imported goods that were manufactured in the trade world in the 18th century.
The worn gear cotton roller was developed in India during the era or Delhi state of 13 to 14
centuries. Another improvement was the merger of the crank handle for ginning cotton, was seen
in India during Delhi state of the Mughal Empire. The production of cotton was advanced by the
diffusion of the spinning wheel through India before the era of Mughal, depressing the tarn cost
and help in the increase of cotton demand (Cook, 2013). The diffusion of spinning wheel and
crank handle and worn gear incorporations into roller gin of cotton extended the textile of cotton
in India.
Egypt
Egypt under the Muhammad Ali Pasha had a fifth productive industry of cotton in the
early 19th century. The machine drove the industry and depended on the sources of energy like

Report on Cotton as a Natural Polymer 6
power from animal windmills and water wheel. Steam engines driven by steam were also
developed to the industry of cotton (Gillham, 2013).
East India Company
The EIC incorporated the demand by increasing its plants and producing clothes in
bulk creating competition for linen textiles producers and domestic woolen. Parliament began to
notice the decline in an increase in imported textiles and decline in domestic textiles, 1700 calico
act was passed by parliament that blocked the importation of cotton because it became a threat to
the domestic textiles businesses (Gillham, 2013).
Industrial revolution
The arrival of Britain’s industrial revolution gives the great improvement to the
production of cotton as the textile appeared as the leading exports of Britain. The John Wyatt and
Lewis Paul of England patented the spinning machine of roller and system of flyer and Robin for
cotton drawing to thickness using two roller sets that travelled different speed. The invention
enabled spinners of British to produce cotton yarn at higher rates. Production was improved by
the invention of modern cotton gin. (Gillham, 2013). The gin that was manufactured by Whitney
reduced the number of working hours.
Structure of cotton
Cotton, the seed of Gossypium, is the purest cellulose that is available in the natural
form. The cotton fiber is a biological single cell with structures of multilayers. The cell structures
layers are from the outside to the inside, include cuticle, primary wall lumen and secondary wall
and are different chemically and structurally. Cotton fiber contains the structure of fibril, it
contains cellulose and non-cellulose. Primary structure of containing cellulose, cellulosic contain
fats, wax, pectin protein and natural colorant (Hill, 2010). The layers have elementary fibrils that
are organized into macro and micro fibrils and held together by hydrogen bonds which include:
Cuticle: the cotton fiber to the outside is covered by the film of the cuticle. Its role is the surface
qualities that influence the yarn properties and spinning. Utile is comprised of materials of pectin
and wax and some mineral matter.

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Primary wall: this will become the outer skin of the fiber that is mature and is consist of threads
of tiny fibers that resist the acid action and other cellulose solvents. The threads are arranged to
produce the high strength and resist fiber dwelling.
Secondary wall: it consists the layers of cellulose that are in the inner primary wall, without
entering the original diameter of the cell. The fibers are arranged in every growth ring and are
arranged spirally about the axis of longitude of the fiber.
Lumen: the lumen varies and mature fibers are developed fully to close the lumen. The mature
fiber has the lumen of the solid rod that lacks central canal immature fiber has a lumen that
appears in a very thin line.it contains protoplasm (Hou, 2017).
Chemical composition of cotton
Cotton is composed of cellulose that belongs to the organic group of carbohydrates like
sugar and starch and has carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. Glucose reacts to form cellobiose
molecule that with the elimination of water can combine to form a big structure. The degree of
polymerization of cotton is more than 4000 (John, 2014).
Figure 3: Shows the molecular structure of the cotton (Kumar, 2010)
Synthesis of cotton
In vitro, the synthesis of cotton can occur by the digitalism enzyme of solubilizer from
the plasma membrane that has fiber cells. Cells of cotton fiber have been used in any studies of
cellulose biosynthesis where intact fiber from the capsule of cotton fruit, intact fiber from their
cultures of ovule and a nucleate isolated protoplast from the cells of fiber were used and
demonstrated cellulose or cotton synthesis. When the fiber cells are detached from ovule the
capacity of cotton synthesis is protected (Matar, 2015).

Report on Cotton as a Natural Polymer 8
Figure 4: Shows the process of the cotton synthesis
Cultivation
Cultivation of cotton successfully needs a long period of fee frost, more sunshine and
rainfall that is moderate usually from 60 to 120cm. soil normally need to be heavy through the
nutrient level must be unexceptional. Seasonally subtropics and dry tropics met the conditions in
the southern and northern hemisphere, but nowadays large areas that are used in cultivating
cotton have low rainfall that gets water used for irrigation (Misra, 2013). The crop production for
a given year normally starts immediately after reaping the previous autumn, cotton is grown as
the annual to help in controlling pests but naturally, it's perennial.
The time of planting in the northern hemisphere in spring varies from February to June, the
south plain in united states is the largest region of growing cotton in the world and water for
irrigation is gotten from aquifers since it’s a dry land. Since cotton is drought and salt water
tolerant, it becomes good crop in semi-arid and arid regions. As the resources of water become
tight around the economies of the world that depends on its face conflict and difficulties and
potential problems on the environment (Morris, 2010).
Harvesting
More of cotton in Australia, and Europe and the United States are mechanically harvested by
either a cotton picker which is a machine that removes cotton from the boll with damaging the
plant of the cotton. They also use a cotton stripper in areas of windy to grow many picker cottons
and they usually apply a defoliant chemical of defoliation that is natural that happens after a
freeze. The cotton is the perennial plant can continue to grow without freezing or defoliation. In
developing countries, cotton is picked by hand (Paine, 2010).

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The figure 5 above shows the machine that is being used to harvest cotton in developed countries
Uses
The use of cotton is to manufacture many textile products like terrycloth that are more
absorbent towel baths and best clothes, cambric for manufacturing blue work shirts, denim for
blue jeans and seersucker, corduroy and cotton twill. T-Shirts, bed sheets, under wares and
socks, are cotton made. The yarn is also made from cotton that is used in knitting and
crocheting. Fabrics are also made from the recovered and recycled cotton after weaving,
spinning and cutting (Seymour, 2012).
It can also be in woven and knitted fabrics because it can be mixed with elastin material to
produce threads that stretch for fabrics that are knitted. It can also be mixed with linen also as
cotton –linen blend that has value materials of plants that are the wrinkle, lightweight, breathable
and resistant. These bends are also stronger, lightweight and thinner than only cotton (Paine,
2010). Cotton is also used in fishing nets of fishing, tents and cotton paper coffee filters,
bookbinding and explosive manufacture
The remnant of cotton after is ginned is known as cottonseed and is used to produce the
cotton oil which human can consume like other vegetable oil after it has been refined. The
remnant of the cotton meal is fed to the ruminant’s livestock and also it can be supplementary to
dairy cattle for roughage, the gossypol that remains in the meal is toxic to animals of
monogastric. The gossypol was a substance that is gotten from every part of the plant of a cotton
and scientist described it as the poisonous pigment. It inhibits sperm development and mobility,
also interfere with the cycle of menstruation by preventing the hormone release (Seymour,
2012).

Report on Cotton as a Natural Polymer 10
The linters of cotton are silky and fine fiber that adhere to cottonseed plant after ginning.
Linter is used traditionally in the paper manufacture and raw materials in the cellulose
manufacture.in the UK, the linters are known as cotton wool which has much practical use as
cosmetic and medical. The first use of cotton for medical was at Queen's hospital by Sampson
Gamgee and later in England in general hospitals (Thomas, 2012). Shiny cotton is the version of
fiber that is processed that can be made in clothes approximating the satin for suits and shirts.
Cotton Lisle is a tightly twisted and finely spun type of cotton that is durable and strong.
The lisle has two strands that are twisted than normal yarn. The yarn is however spun for it to be
solid and compact. The cotton is used to make gloves, stockings, under wares. (Tortora, 2013).
Environmental impacts of the cotton
Cotton is the non-food crop that is profitable in the world. The global reach of cotton is
wide and but the production of cotton recently uses methods that are environmentally
unsustainable and this undermines the ability of the industry to maintain future production. Most
environmental impacts of the cotton results from the use of agrochemicals like pesticides, the
habitat conversion to the agricultural use and water consumption. Water pollution and its
diversion had serious impacts on the ecosystem like the Indus delta in Pakistan, (Tortora, 2013).
Soil degradation and erosion: Cultivation of cotton degrades the soil quality. Despite the areas
of global to the cultivation of cotton remain constant for the 70 years ago. The production of
cotton has degraded and depleted soil in most areas. More cotton is grown on the fields that are
well established but when they are exhausted they result in the expansion into new fields and
destruct the habitat because more space will be needed.
Pollution: Production of the cotton involves the substantial application of fertilizers, insecticides
and pesticides. The applied chemicals pollute the water and soil value, health of the biodiversity.
Persistent use of these chemicals causes problems to human health as a result of atmosphere,
water and soil pollution (Tortora, 2013).
Contamination of water: runoffs of fertilizers and pesticides and minerals from the fields of
cotton contaminates wetlands. Rivers, lakes, and the underground aquifers. This pollution affects
directly the biodiversity by the long accumulation and toxicity. Most cotton firms are located
near the water catchment areas. Drainage and leaching systems are used to avoid salinity and

Report on Cotton as a Natural Polymer 11
waterlogging. The drainage water return to rivers bringing the pesticides, fertilizers and salts that
in turn lead to pollution of rivers making it for the human to drink and also cause the excessive
algae growth that affects the biological equilibrium.
water scarcity: processing and production of cotton use more water in fact cotton of the among
of the agricultural commodities that use more water groundwater and surface are normally
diverted to irrigate their fields of cotton .leading to loss of fresh water through the insufficient
management of water and evaporation (Tortora, 2013).
Climate change: Production of cotton leads to the climate change through different ways, the
fertilizers from the industries are manufactured with other compounds that are sources of that are
sources of carbon dioxide. Also, the application of excess nitrates to the land of agriculture lead
to their transformation to a laughing gas that is damaging and causes the global warming. The
soil is the important sink of carbon and soil degradation reduces the sequestration of carbon
capacity hence contributing to effects of the greenhouse (Yu, 2010).
Advantages of cotton
Breathable: sweat is absorbed by cotton from the body and enables its evaporation to air, it is
like a towel that winkles away moisture from the skin and prevents the bacteria and yeast
development.
Soft and insulating: Cotton is a stretchy fabric that is soft which makes it comfortable to wear. it
can’t conduct heat hence it can be used as the insulator keeps people cool in summer and warm
in winter and cool in summer enabling the comfortability and restrict static (Zhang, 2014).
Natural and not allergic: Cotton is manufactured naturally and does not irritate the skin as
compared to synthetic materials that are made by chemicals. They also don't cause allergies on
the skin and can be used on the sensitive skin, binds and gauzes are made of cotton.
Strong and versatile: Cotton fibers are rolled into yarn that is tight that is durable and strong and
also takes well to dye (Chand, 2011).
Disadvantages of cotton
Pure fabrics of cotton is a popular buyer’s choice seeking natural and comfortable clothing.

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Cotton shrink easily: The clothes made of cotton shrink even it is preshrunk by the manufacturer.
The fiber in cotton become shortened when exposed to water which causes the shrinking of
fabrics. Drying the cotton cloth on low heat prevents its shrinking.
Cotton wrinkles easily : cotton wrinkle easily and require ironing that is constant which is a big
problem when using it in clothes of professionals such as dresses, trousers, and dress shirts
where appearance of neatness is important, this is also the advantage to those that travel because
the cotton wrinkle when packed in language (Hou, 2017).
Cotton retains water; Cotton fabrics retain water and if it’s wet, it will stretch and become saggy
and makes it for people that wear them to feel uncomfortable.
Damage and washing: Cotton is more used to damage because it’s a natural fiber, it can also
fade in lights. The colors from the cotton clothing van run and discolor other clothes, it slowly
dries and is prone to lint since it tends to be short (Hill, 2010).
Conclusion
This report is about cotton which falls under the natural polymer. The polymer is a large
macromolecule or molecule comprised of many subunits that are repeated. The natural polymers
are gotten naturally from plants and animals and examples are rubber, cellulose, proteins, cotton
and starch. In this report paper, cotton is discussed as a natural polymer, it is a natural fiber
gotten from the cotton plant which grows anywhere in the world like China, India and united
states and its seasons of growing last six to seven months. Cotton is a staple and soft fiber that is
cultivated in bolls, or the areas that are protected case around the cotton plant seed of the
Gossypium genus that belongs to the Malvaceae family.
Cotton, the seed of Gossypium, is the cellulose that is pure that is available in the natural
form. The cotton fiber is a biological single cell with structures of multilayers. The cell structures
layers are from the outside to the inside, include cuticle, primary wall lumen and secondary wall
and are different chemically and structurally. Cotton is used to manufacture many products of
textile-like terrycloth for an absorbent highly towel for baths and robes, cambric for
manufacturing blue work shirts, denim for blue jeans and seersucker, corduroy and cotton twill.
T-Shirts, bed sheets, under wares and socks are made from cotton.