I. Basic Classification of Cotton Yarn
There are many types of cotton yarn, primarily classified by raw material, spinning process, and yarn structure:
1. Classification by Raw Material
- Pure Cotton Yarn: Made from 100% cotton fiber, it offers excellent breathability and moisture absorption, and is commonly used in underwear and bedding.
- Blended Yarn: Cotton is blended with other fibers, such as polyester-cotton (65% cotton + 35% polyester), offering both comfort and durability.
- Recycled Cotton Yarn: Made from recycled cotton fibers, it offers low cost but lower strength, and is primarily used in low-end mops and dishcloths.
2. Classification by Spinning Process
- Combed Yarn: Combed yarn removes short fibers, resulting in a smoother yarn (commonly used in high-end fabrics with a count of 40 or above).
- Carded Yarn: Simple to process and low cost, but prone to pilling, suitable for mid- to low-end T-shirts.
- Open-end spinning: Using airflow instead of traditional spindles, it offers high efficiency but low strength and is primarily used for denim (accounting for 60% of global denim yarn production, according to the ITMF 2022 report).
II. Sub-categories and typical applications
1. Classification by yarn count
- Low-count yarn (10-30s): Thick fabrics such as canvas and towels.
- Medium-count yarn (32-60s): The mainstay of everyday clothing, such as 40s cotton shirts.
- High-count yarn (80s and above): High-end bedding (such as 100s long-staple cotton satin). Single yarn diameter is only 12.5 microns (GB/T 398-2018 standard).
2. Specialty cotton yarn
- Antibacterial cotton yarn: Added with silver ions, with an antibacterial rate of ≥99% (according to ISO 20743 standard). Used in medical dressings.
- Slub yarn: intentionally created with irregular thickness to create a vintage texture, with approximately 3-5 slubs per meter (industry average).