A NEW POLYNOSIC FIBER WITH WATER REVERSIBLE MICRO CRIMPS

Abstract

Relationship between stretching conditions and morphology of filaments containing s-hydroxymethyl cellulose xanthate (HMCX) was studied. Unstretched coagulated filaments showed uniformly skin stained cross section. After being stretched in hot water bath under low tension, they showed heterostructural cross section like bicomponent fibers. However when they are stretched under high tension, uniform skin-core structure was formed. The heterostructure was emphasized by relaxing the filaments in a bath which had a swelling effect to HMCX, and a new polynosic fiber having many microcrimps was obtained. (experimental name Fiber “C-311”)
Differential staining of the fiber showed that the portion of the fiber which gave core staining was located inside of the curl. (“Core inside type”). The three dimensional microcrimps of fiber “C-311” was found to straighten out when the fiber was immersed in water and then recovered after drying the fiber again.
The skin-core structure of conventional crimped rayon was formed in the coagulating bath and little change was observed by stretching. Horio and Kondo showed that the portion of core-staining was located outside the curl in the case of conventional crimped rayon stretched in hot water bath. (“core outside type”). However it was found that crimps of “core inside type” were obtained in the conventional crimped rayon when the filament was stretched in air. The crimps of conventional crimped rayon did not show water reversibility irrespective of “core outside” or “core inside” type.
Fiber “C-311” showed mechanical and fine structural characteristics equivalent to those of conventional polynosic fibers.