A CONSIDERATION OF THE MORPHOLOGY OF THE NATURAL CELLULOSE MOLECULAR CHAINS

Abstract

Through measurements of GPC and viscosity, characterization was determined for nitrated samples from hydrolyzed residues of cotton which had been treated with alkali solution of various concentrations. A comparative investigation was carried out on the results with cotton, Valonia and ramie and inquiry was directed toward the differences in their cellulose chain morphologies and their fine structures.
In all cases, the hydrolyzed residues of cotton, disregarding the conditions of alkali pre-treatment, gave unimodal distribution curves. These peaks shifted to the lower molecular weight side as the alkali concentration in the pre-treatment became high. In addition at the very beginning of the hydrolysis reaction of partially mercerized samples, there were, temporarily, considerable shiftings in their distribution curves to the lower molecular weight side. That is to say, the position of the peak corresponding to the sample hydrolyzed for 30 minutes was on the lower molecular weight side in comparison to the peak for the sample treated for a period of 60 minutes. Moreover, as the time duration for hydrolysis became longer, the peak gradually shifted to the lower molecular weight side.
Except for about a 2% higher alkali concentration as the initial condition of mercerization, the results with cotton were almost the same as those on ramie; however, they were completely different from those on Valonia.