A cotton fabric has high water absorption and good touch, so it has been used as clothes since ancient times. Electron beam (EB) induced graft polymerization is one of the chemical modification methods for polymer materials such as fibers and films. In this study, it was shown that uniform modification can be achieved through EB-induced graft polymerization even with unrefined cotton sliver. The Cotton sliver can be used not only for fabrics but also for knits and nonwoven fabrics and so on. ESR spectroscopy and the degree of grafting showed that the amount of radical generated in the original sliver was smaller than that for the sliver after scouring and bleaching. A more remarkable difference was observed in the amount of active radical that could initiate the graft polymerization. Nevertheless, it was possible to modify the cotton sliver that had not been scoured and bleached through the EB-induced graft polymerization if the graft polymerization could be completed within 90 min. Microprobe Raman spectroscopy revealed that the generated graft chains were uniformly distributed inside the sliver. A comparison of the reactivity of monomers in different dispersion states in water showed that the monomers forming small dispersion units in water tended to have the higher degree of grafting. The diffusion process in which the monomer reaches the active site in the sliver before their disappearance must be key process for the graft polymerization to proceed.

We have experienced in our daily living well that foods including both reducing sugar, such as glucose, and amino compound, such as amino acid and protein, become yellow or brown after the heating process or long storage such as the fermentation process. These coloration reactions are called the Maillard reaction, melanoidin reaction or browning reaction. It was clarified in our previous works that protein fibers such as wool, silk, and leather, were also colored brown by reducing sugars. Interestingly, each usage of isomeric reducing sugar afforded the different color density of these protein fibers. For example, the wool fibers colored by D-galactose showed the deepest coloration in the hexoses, such as D-glucose, D-galactose, and D-mannose. In this paper, various reducing sugars having different carbon number or different configuration of hydroxyl groups were investigated as their color precursors to clarify the mechanism of the above results in detail. Obtained results showed that both the stability of their chain structure in an aqueous solution and the configurations of their hydroxyl groups affected their color density largely. As a result, D-erythrose, which is one of tetrose, gave the deepest coloration in the reducing sugars examined here.

The consciousness survey on Kurashiki canvas was conducted to analyze the recognition and images for understanding what kind of canvas products would be required. The characteristic and attraction of Kurashiki canvas were considered, and the new design acceptable to wider consumers leading to the sales promotion was proposed based on the results of survey. From a result of the questionnaire survey, high quality and strength of Kurashiki canvas were well perceived. Major images for Kurashiki canvas were simple,casual and natural. Image of favorable color and pattern type were red, white and blue, and striped pattern,respectively. These analysis results concluded that the satisfaction level of persons who used Kurashiki canvas was high. New Kurashiki canvas products, which were a rucksack, a tricolor bag, a cap, a basket, lampshades,a school uniform, a jacket and slippers, were proposed meeting the consumersʼ demands clarified by this survey.