(a) The raw kapok fiber shall be long, clean, creamy white in color, lustrous, free from discoloration and adulteration with other fiber, and of a quality equal to that grown in Java.

(b) Kapok shall be processed by teasing in a machine using the air-blow method. Mechanical separation of fiber masses is permitted, but machines using violent beating which breaks down the fibers or causes undue powdering or pulverizing are not permitted. Provision shall be made for trapping seeds and heavy objects in gravity traps and the dust or powder in an efficient dust collector.

(c) Processed kapok shall have a buoyancy in fresh water of at least 48 pounds per cubic foot when tested in accordance with §164.003-4(d). Rejected kapok shall not be used in lifesaving products inspected by the Coast Guard.

(d) The processed kapok shall contain not more than 5 percent by weight of sticks, seeds, dirt or other foreign material and shall be free from objectionable odor and adulteration with other fibers.

[11 FR 188, Jan. 3, 1946, as amended by USCG-2014-0688, 79 FR 58286, Sept. 29, 2014]