ABSTRACT

Modules should be constructed with a shape that will resist collecting water to maintain the quality of seed cotton during storage. Meeting this specification requires knowledge of the relationship between the applied compressive force, deformation, and time for seed cotton. Tests were conducted to determine the force-deformation relationship and the deformation as a function of time for creep loading and unloading. The effects of initial loading density, harvesting method, hold time, and number of compressions on density were examined. The initial loading density did not affect the compressed density, but a slight effect was observed in the recovered density due to the weight of the seed cotton. Picker harvested cotton was compressed to a greater density than stripper harvested cotton, but expanded more during recovery, resulting in similar final densities. Viscoelastic behavior was observed, however, the effect on density was small. Improved loading of the module builder is necessary to produce a desirably shaped module. More seed cotton needs to be placed in the center of the module, resulting in a surface that slopes down to the sides.