Determining Short Fiber Content in Cotton

The mathematical fundamentals of fiber length distribution are reviewed in a unified way, with particular emphasis on the derivation of short fiber content (SFC) by number and weight and other related length parameters. The concept of "similar distribu tions" is introduced to describe the resemblance in shape between different distribu tions. This is necessary because of the specific nature of cotton length distributions. The SFC as a length parameter is related to both the range and shape of the fiber length distributions. The paper concludes with the presentation of equations necessary to determine the SFC of a binary mixture, if the SFC and other fiber characteristics of each component are known.