Selecting Cotton Fiber Properties for Fitting Reliable Equations to HVI Data

Abstract

An advanced statistical procedure for developing reliable prediction equations relating cotton fiber properties and the skein break factor of yarn is demonstrated. The procedure consists of a sequential analysis in which subsets of independent variables are obtained by linear regression to best predict a dependent variable. Selection of the most reliable equation is based on three main criteria: the R2 statistic, the Cp statistic, and the MSE. The independent variables considered in the analysis are the cotton fiber properties measured by the HVI system (MCI3000). A reliable regression equation relating cotton fiber properties and yarn quality should simultaneously satisfy the two criteria: it has a high R2 value and uses only the most important fiber properties. Written primarily for textile scientists and engineers, the details of the statistical analysis are minimized, and the analysis is presented in its proper context, as a useful tool for the nonstatistician.