Convert Kilotex to English Cotton Count (ktex to Ne)

Formula

Ne = 0.5905412474482 ÷ ktex

Derivation from SI units:

• 1 ktex = 1 g per metre = 1000 tex = 10⁻³ kg/m (exact)
• Ne = number of 840-yard hanks per pound, so tex = 0.45359237 kg ÷ (840 × 0.9144 m) × 10⁶ ÷ Ne = 590.5412 ÷ Ne
• Solving for Ne: Ne = 0.5905412474482 ÷ ktex (a higher ktex means a lower Ne)

Both units are defined exactly, so the factor is exact. Kilotex definition: kilotex; English Cotton Count definition: English cotton count.

Worked examples

1. A reading of 2.5 ktex converts to 0.236216499 Ne.
   0.5905412474 ÷ 2.5 = 0.236216499 Ne
2. A value of 4 ktex is 0.1476353119 Ne.
   0.5905412474 ÷ 4 = 0.1476353119 Ne

Where it's used

Kilotex are used for card and draw-frame sliver (about 3–5 ktex), while English cotton count appear in cotton and blended spun yarns (20s, 30s, 40s). Both measure yarn count (linear density of yarns and fibres), but one system is the inverse of the other, so a fixed constant is divided by the value.

Kilotex to other yarn count units

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• ISO 1144, Textiles — Universal system for designating linear density (Tex System), International Organization for Standardization , Tex system.
• ASTM D2260, Standard Tables of Conversion Factors and Equivalent Yarn Numbers Measured in Various Numbering Systems, ASTM International , Cotton count (Ne).
• Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI), NIST Special Publication 811, 2008 Edition, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Appendix B.8, "yard" and "pound".

Last reviewed: 2026-10-15. Factors are stored exactly and computed with 50-digit decimal arithmetic. See how we verify conversion factors.