The Effect of Solvents on Some Properties of Cotton Cellulose 1

Abstract

Samples of cotton duck were immersed in pyridine, aqueous methylamine solutions, and a variety of other solvents. Pyridine and methylamine caused swelling of the cellulose fibers and an increase in the moisture content of the fabric. Pyridine also increased the fabric breaking strength. This is explained in terms of enhanced plastici zation by pyridine and water molecules which are hydrogen-bonded to cellulose. Treatment by pyridine or aqueous methylamine reduced the rate of photochemical degradation of fabric samples exposed in a Weather-Ometer. An explanation for this is based on the changes these solvents cause in the fiber structure, e.g., less dense packing of cellulose chains in the swollen fibers. It is suggested that swollen fibers absorb less of the incident light from a carbon-arc and dissipate more of the absorbed energy without chain scission.