STUDIES ON THE BAMBOO DISSOLVING PULP

CRYSTALLINITY AND DEGREE OF MERCERIZATION OF BAMBOO PULP FROM X-RAY DIFFRACTION

Abstract

Using the X-ray diffractometer, crystallinity index (Cr. I.) was measured on the bomboo dissolving pulp as well as linter and wood pulps. Crystallinity index, proposed by L. Segal, changed a little according to the extent of prehydorlysis and sulfate cooking, however, Cr. I. of the bamboo pulp was nearly exual to those of wood pulps.
The bamboo pulp was treated with 8-18% NaOH solutions in the same way as with linter and wood pulps and regenerated with acetic acid solution. The degree of mercerization of the samples was determined quantitatively by the X-ray diffractometer using standard mixture samples of linter and its mercerized pulp. The bamboo pulp does not mercerize so easily as wood pulps, though not so hard as with linter pulp. Mercerization is retarped with temperature. This was observed on the bamboo and wood pulp, when these pulps were treated with 14% NaOH solution.
The difference of behavior at mercerization between the bamboo and wood pulps with nearly equal degree of crystalligation was supposedly due to in the fine structure, especially in the lateral order.
The charactaristic behavior of bamboo in mercerization should be considered our practical preparation of alkali-cellulose for viscose.