International Committee on Cotton
Testing Methods
Task Force on Color
Coordinator:
Małgorzata Matusiak
malgorzata.matusiak@iw.lodz.pl
INTRODUCTION
Color is one of the most important
property of cotton. It is strongly connected
with the conditions of cotton cultivation
as well as with fiber quality.
Color is a basic criterion which decides
about the quality classification of cotton
raw materials.
Małgorzata Matusiak Ph.D., D. Sc.
ICCTM Meeting, Task Force on Color, Bremen 2016
INTRODUCTION
Usually color of cotton is assessed in 2 ways:
 by the cotton classers in an organoleptic way,
 by instrumental color measurement, mainly with
HVI.
Małgorzata Matusiak Ph.D., D. Sc.
ICCTM Meeting, Task Force on Color, Bremen 2016
INTRODUCTION
In organoleptic way a specially trained expert classifies
cotton sample by the visual comparison with a set of the
physical standards under standard illumination.
The cotton color grade is determined instrumentally
in a two-filter colorimeter integrated into the HVI.
Two color parameters are measured:
 reflectance (Rd),
 yellowness (+b).
Małgorzata Matusiak Ph.D., D. Sc.
ICCTM Meeting, Task Force on Color, Bremen 2016
High Volume Instrument
ART 2 High Volume Fibre Tester, Premier
http://premier-1.com
USTER® HVI 1000
http://www.uster.com
HVT - High Volume Fibre Tester,
MAG Solvics Private Ltd. Coinbatore
http://magsolvics.com/
Małgorzata Matusiak Ph.D., D. Sc.
ICCTM Meeting, Task Force on Color, Bremen 2016
High Volume Instrument
HVI does a very good job and it is accepted all
over the world as the basic instrumental method for
cotton assessment and color grading. It is no doubt.
However, there are other approaches to cotton
colormeasurement. They result from the fact, that
the color parameters – Rd and (+b) – measured by the
HVI are specific to the cotton only.
Małgorzata Matusiak Ph.D., D. Sc.
ICCTM Meeting, Task Force on Color, Bremen 2016
CIELAB color system
Color of majority of objects is usually expressed in
the globally recognized CIELAB color system, in
which the following color coordinates are
determined:
 L* – lightness,
 chromaticity coordinates:
- a* – green/red,
- b* – blue/yellow.
Małgorzata Matusiak Ph.D., D. Sc.
ICCTM Meeting, Task Force on Color, Bremen 2016
NEEDS, PROBLEMS
There are some problems connected with the color
measurement by the HVI:
 contamination of cotton significantly affects the
color results,
 HVI does not assess the cotton intermediate
products like: web, sliver or roving as well as color
of yarns and fabrics,
Małgorzata Matusiak Ph.D., D. Sc.
ICCTM Meeting, Task Force on Color, Bremen 2016
NEEDS, PROBLEMS
 measurement of color of naturally colored cotton
(brown, green etc.) is rather impossible,
Małgorzata Matusiak Ph.D., D. Sc.
ICCTM Meeting, Task Force on Color, Bremen 2016
NEEDS, PROBLEMS
 the HVI color results are correlated with the visual
grading, but an agreement between the HVI and the
classer grading is unsatisfactory – ca. 70 %,
 round trials showed some differences between the
results of the cotton color measurement from
different HVI systems,
 cotton consumers and researchers: spinners, fabric
and clothing manufacturers need the color data in
commonly applied color space.
Małgorzata Matusiak Ph.D., D. Sc.
ICCTM Meeting, Task Force on Color, Bremen 2016
RESEARCH
The main direction of the investigation is an application of
the spectrophotometer in cotton color measurement.
Research in this direction is done by scientists from
different research centers:
 Rodgers J., USDA ARS, SRRC, New Orleans, LA (USA),
 Ducked K., University of Tennessee, Knoxville (USA),
 Matusiak M., Lodz University of Technology (Poland).
Małgorzata Matusiak Ph.D., D. Sc.
ICCTM Meeting, Task Force on Color, Bremen 2016
RESEARCH
Portable color spectrophotometer measurements
of cotton color in remote locations [Rodgers J., Schild
G., Cui X., Delhom C.],
Rodgers J., Schild G., Cui X., Delhom C., Portable color spectrophotometer measurements
of cotton color in remote locations, The Journal of Cotton Science 17:202–211 (2013)
Małgorzata Matusiak Ph.D., D. Sc.
ICCTM Meeting, Task Force on Color, Bremen 2016
RESEARCH
[http://www.textechno.com]
Małgorzata Matusiak Ph.D., D. Sc.
ICCTM Meeting, Task Force on Color, Bremen 2016
RESEARCH
Fibrocolor Station
Textechno´s Fibrocolor
spectrophotometer station is used to
measure the whiteness degree Rt and
yellowness degree +b of both, cotton
and man- made fibres.
It is equipped with an Ulbricht sphere
(d/8° geometry) and an integrated
micro processor system, delivery also
includes a calibration standard.
[http://www.textechno.com]
Małgorzata Matusiak Ph.D., D. Sc.
ICCTM Meeting, Task Force on Color, Bremen 2016
RESEARCH
Other objectives of the investigation:
 improving color measurement of trashy cotton by
an elimination of trash-particle effect on the color
readings,
 an investigation into the intra-sample variation in
the color of cotton using image analysis,
 an application of the DigiEye in cotton color
measurement.
Małgorzata Matusiak Ph.D., D. Sc.
ICCTM Meeting, Task Force on Color, Bremen 2016
RESEARCH
DigiEye – image
analysis based
system of color
measurement.
An image is
captured by the
calibrated digital
camera, and next
color measurement
of the object image
is performed by the
DigiEye software.
Małgorzata Matusiak Ph.D., D. Sc.
ICCTM Meeting, Task Force on Color, Bremen 2016
RESEARCH
Małgorzata Matusiak Ph.D., D. Sc.
ICCTM Meeting, Task Force on Color, Bremen 2016
RESEARCH
The non-contact telescopic method of color measurement.
„A strong correlation was stated between the HVI and
telescopic method of color measurement measurements. In
both parameters (Rd, +b) the values are very close to each
other with R2 value of 0.99, 0.98 respectively.”
[Khan N., Vik M., Vikova M., Color measurement of cotton
samples with feasibility of traceable color standards,
Workshop Světlanka 2015, Technical University of Liberec
(Czech Republic)]
Małgorzata Matusiak Ph.D., D. Sc.
ICCTM Meeting, Task Force on Color, Bremen 2016
SUMMING UP
What will happen in the future?
It is difficult to tell.
However, in my opinion the scientist will
continue their investigation in the direction of
expressing a color of cotton in the CIELAB
system.
Małgorzata Matusiak Ph.D., D. Sc.
ICCTM Meeting, Task Force on Color, Bremen 2016
SUMMING UP
In my opinion, including both systems of color
determination:
 colorimetric (Rd and +b),
 in Cielab system (L, a*, b*)
into the HVI would be one of the expected solutions.
It would allow to combine the answers the needs of
cotton growers, ginners, spinners, textile
manufacturers and researchers.
Małgorzata Matusiak Ph.D., D. Sc.
ICCTM Meeting, Task Force on Color, Bremen 2016