Cotton in the new millennium: advances, economics, perceptions and problems

Cotton is the most significant natural fibre and has been a preferred choice of the textile industry and consumers since the industrial revolution began. The share of man-made fibres, both regenerated and synthetic fibres, has grown considerably in recent times but cotton production has also been on the rise and accounts for about half of the fibres used for apparel and textile goods. To cotton’s advantage, the premium attached to the presence of cotton fibre and the general positive consumer perception is well established, however, compared to commodity man-made fibres and high performance fibres, cotton has limitations in terms of its mechanical properties but can help to overcome moisture management issues that arise with performance apparel during active wear. This issue of Textile Progress aims to: i. Report on advances in cotton cultivation and processing as well as improvements to conventional cotton cultivation and ginning. The processing of cotton in the textile industry from fibre to finished fabric, cotton and its blends, and their applications in technical textiles are also covered. ii. Explore the economic impact of cotton in different parts of the world including an overview of global cotton trade. iii. Examine the environmental perception of cotton fibre and efforts in organic and genetically-modified (GM) cotton production. The topic of naturally-coloured cotton, post-consumer waste is covered and the environmental impacts of cotton cultivation and processing are discussed. Hazardous effects of cultivation, such as the extensive use of pesticides, insecticides and irrigation with fresh water, and consequences of the use of GM cotton and cotton fibres in general on the climate are summarised and the effects of cotton processing on workers are addressed. The potential hazards during cotton cultivation, processing and use are also included. iv. Examine how the properties of cotton textiles can be enhanced, for example, by improving wrinkle recovery and reducing the flammability of cotton fibre

Chemically-Derived Cuo/In2O3-Based Nanocomposite For Diode Applications

Nowadays, oxide-based semiconducting nanostructures are widely regarded as one of the most essential elements of the modern semiconductor industry and for a number of advanced technological functions in electronics and optoelectronic platforms. In this regard, a CuO-based nanocomposite was synthesized through a facile surfactant-free wet chemical strategy, and its potential for photoelectronic applications has been demonstrated. The nature of the composite phase and its other structural characteristics were studied in detail using Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic tools. The particulate characteristics of the composite were inferred using transmission electron microscopic measurements. Room temperature luminescence measurements revealed that the optical activity of the composite spreads across the red and near-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum through corresponding transitions. The optoelectronic capabilities of the processed composite were investigated through fabricating a CuO composite/ZnO nanowire-based p-n heterostructure and studying its associated current-voltage (I-V) characteristics under photon illumination. The nature of charge carriers, flat band potential, charge transfer resistance and carrier density were also studied individually and collectively for each component comprising the heterostructure through Mott-Schottky and Nyquist type impedance plots

Arrayed CdTeMicrodots and Their Enhanced Photodetectivity via Piezo-Phototronic Effect

In this paper, a photodetector based on arrayed CdTe microdots was fabricated on Bi coated transparent conducting indium tin oxide (ITO)/glass substrates. Current-voltage characteristics of these photodetectors revealed an ultrahigh sensitivity under stress (in the form of force through press) while compared to normal condition. The devices exhibited excellent photosensing properties with photoinduced current increasing from 20 to 76 μA cm−2 under stress. Furthermore, the photoresponsivity of the devices also increased under stress from 3.2 × 10−4 A/W to 5.5 × 10−3 A/W at a bias of 5 V. The observed characteristics are attributed to the piezopotential induced change in Schottky barrier height, which actually results from the piezo-phototronic effect. The obtained results also demonstrate the feasibility in realization of a facile and promising CdTe microdots-based photodetector via piezo-phototronic effect