Abstract
The authors have made studies to determine what relation there is between the degree of heating and frangibility of the rag in the carbonizing process in actual woollen spinning operations.
In other words, we have tried to determine whether the degradation of the cotton rag is due to the concentration of the acid or to the action of hot air in the carbonizing process.
We have experimented with various degrees of concentration of the acid, various rates of squeezing, various lengths of time and temperatures for treatment. Our experiments have shown that the process of degradation, which is due to dispolymerization caused by hydrolysis, is an important factor contributory to the reaction of the initial stage in the carbonizing mechanism.
Our experiments have shown, too, that the difference in the state and location of the rag during heating change the effects of treatment. We have found also that, where a pile of rags is treated, the degree of degradation and of the change of color differs to no small extent according to the relative positions of the individual rags in the pile.
It would be wrong to judge the degree of degradation by the change of color in the carbonizing process, because the change of color is due in very large measure to esterification.
