Liquid Ammonia vs. NaOH Mercerization as Pretreatment for the Cotton- Butadienediepoxide Reaction. Spectral and Microscopical Studies

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Abstract
Native, mercerized, and ammonia-treated cottons were reacted with butadienediepoxide (BDO), and their fine struc tural changes were followed by x-ray diffractograms, infrared absorption spectra, refractive indices, and in micro scopical cross sections. Conventional mercerization and liquid NH3 pretreatment of native cotton generally produced a more isotropic fiber. But the nature and mode of decomposition of cellulose swelling complexes formed with either NaOH or liquid NH3 differed, as evidenced by differences in crystalline lattices and the optical properties of reaction products. Optical density increased only in the direction of the fiber axis with NH3 but also perpendicularly to the fiber axis with NaOH. Subsequent treatment of NH3-cellulose controls with mercerizing strength NaOH converted their crystalline lattices to Cellulose II. BDO reaction and postmercerization affected the refractive index only in the direction of the fiber axis (η||). Generally, BDO reaction reduced η|| of all but the NH3-cellulose I control; and postmercerization further reduced η|| of only BDO-reaction products that retained the cellulose I lattice. Birefringence of postmercerized BDO-reaction products derived from NH3-cellulose I was lower than that of comparable BDO-reaction products from conventionally mercerized cotton. Before and after BDO reaction, cross sections of most fibers in reaction products from native and NH3-treated cottons with the cellulose I lattice were elliptical, while comparable cross sec tions from conventionally mercerized cotton were round. Changing the catalyst from 2% to 15% NaOH generally increased the number of circular fibers in BDO-treated cottons having the cellulose I structure. All control cottons dissolved in cupriethylenediamine, but BDO-reaction products were insoluble and cross sections appeared solid. Gen erally, reaction products from cottons pretreated with liquid NH3 had a softer hand and dyed more uniformly than did comparable products from conventionally mercerized cotton.