Temperature effects on lint cotton equilibrium moisture content

Equilibrium moisture contents for raw cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) lint were obtained for four temperature ranges (7-8°C, 25-28°C, 34-38°C, and 49-52°C) using small fluffy samples (500 mg) of cotton lint exposed to a moving air stream (flow rate of 0.0003 m3/s) with different temperatures and humidities. The data are consistent with findings in the literature and show that the equilibrium moisture content for raw cotton lint absorption is consistently higher than the data reported for soda-boiled lint. As temperature increases, the equilibrium moisture content of the lint decreases for constant values of relative humidity up to 85%. For temperatures greater than 47°C and relative humidities above 85%, the moisture content increased with increasing temperature. Desorption equilibrium data is presented for raw cotton lint in the 34-38° and 47-52°C ranges, showing that hysteresis does exist for raw cotton lint.