Experimental Evaluation of the Lateral-Order Distribution in Cellulose

Abstract

The lack of agreement among various crystallinity and accessibility methods for cellu losic materials is explained in terms of the lateral-order distribution concept. A new definition of the order function is proposed which is more in keeping with recent infrared evidence showing that celluloses differ in distribution of hydrogen bond strengths rather than in actual number of hydrogen bonds. Some of the physical and chemical methods which can give empirical-order distribu tion information for native and regenerated samples are reviewed critically and some data are compared with results based on conventional crystalline-amorphous delineation.