Note on the Preparation of a Partial Ester of Cotton Cellulose in Fabric Form

Abstract

Although cellulose caprates have been made previously, the processes used degraded the cellulose to some extent since the objective was to make products that would be soluble in organic solvents. This paper describes a method of preparing, possibly for the first time, a partial capric ester of cotton cellulose in fabric form, employing conditions that do not degrade the cellulose significantly. The method consists of a presoak in pyridine followed by treatment with capric anhydride. Partial esterification was shown by dyeing characteristics and chemical analysis of the modified cotton; by hydrolysis of the treated fabric and determination of the neutralization equivalent of the isolated capric acid; and by the preparation of a derivative of the capric acid recovered from the fabric. The fabric showed considerable water repellency and some rot resistance.