NMR Studies of Cotton and Wool in Sorption Process

Abstract
The interaction of cotton and wool materials with moisture has been studied by using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NM R) technique, with a view to follow the changes in segment mobilities of these fiber structures in a sorption process. By making repeated sweeps of the magnetic field, the changes in the broad-peak of the derivative curves could be measured with increasing time of humidifying from about 0% → 50 ± 1% RH. Such changes were recorded for untreated and crosslinked cotton and wool. Crosslinking treatment decreases the total segment mobility, reduces the time for stabiliza tion of mobility, and eliminates one of the typical characteristics of untreated cotton and reduced wool in sorption process, i.e., segment mobility passing through a maximum value. The above samples when wrinkled after being pre-humidified for different times, showed that wrinkle recovery goes through a minimum value, the critical time and the extent of recov ery depending on the given treatment.