The Swelling of Cotton in Water

Moore, Anna T.; Scott, Lorraine W.; Degruy, Ines V.; Rollins, Mary L.

doi:10.1177/004051755002000904

Cited by 38 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Unfortunately, this is not the case for cellulose fibers which, as we know, are highly hydrophilic and swell considerably. From the work of Morehead [ 15 ] and Rollins et al [ 14] , we know that for cotton the increase in cross-sectional area from the dry state to saturation in water is in the 20-35 % range and that swelling of raw flax and viscose rayon is about twice as high. As shown by x-rays, penetration of water into the intramicellar spaces of cellulose, that is, between the individual chains of the crystalline lattice, does not occur unless strong swelling agents are present.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Contribution to the Electron-Microscope Study of the Fine Structure of Cellulose Fibers by Means of Ultramicrotomy

Kassenbeck

Hagège

1968

Textile Research Journal

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Some possibilities of using ultramicrotomy in an electron-microscope study of cellulosic fibers are considered.Interest is focused on the importance of preparative techniques, especially "fixation" and "inclusion." The well-known fact of expansion of the secondary wall (separation into lamellas of various thicknesses) is considered to be the consequence of polymerization of the methacrylate within the accessible regions of the swollen fibers after inclusion. Fixation, i.e., cross-linking, is considered to occur either in formaldehyde treatment or in periodic acid oxidation; in such cases, no polymerization takes place inside the fibers and, accordingly, no burstings are observed on thin sections. In the case of alkali treatments of sufhcient concentration, homogeneous swelling is observed and no fixation is necessary to prevent the sections from swelling when they come in contact with water in the ultramicrotome bowl.Some histochemical techniques, designed to enhance contrast in the electron image and reveal fine structure, are discussed. Silver ions can be used after periodic acid oxidation, followed by thiosemicarbazide blocking; uranyl and lead give good results, especially when applied to fibers rich in free carboxylic groups; and caesium can be introduced through an exchange reaction by using alcoholates so that swollen structures can, thus, be studied. _

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Contribution to the Electron-Microscope Study of the Fine Structure of Cellulose Fibers by Means of Ultramicrotomy

Kassenbeck

Hagège

1968

Textile Research Journal

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“…In the evaluation of swelling capacity by microscopically comparing the cross-sectional area of the same fibers in the wet and dry condition [7], the swelling capacity is given as the percentage change in area of the fiber as compared to the area of the dry fiber. An examination of the swelling capacity data in Table I indicates that the values obtained from the desiccation rate technique and from cross-sectional area measurements agree as to general magnitude for the cottons, the rayons, and the flax.…”

Section: Comparison Of Results With Cross-sectional Area Increasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Swelling Capacities of Fibers in Water

Welo

Ziifle

Loeb

1952

Textile Research Journal

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Swelling in water is one of the important fundamental properties of cellulosic fibers, and is also a factor in determining the proper fiber for a specific utilization. An example of this is the selection of cottons for self-sealing fabrics. Since existing techniques for measuring swelling capacities, as they have been used, are tedious and time-consuming, it was desired to find a rapid method which would be sensitive enough to establish, with certainty, small differences in swelling capacity due to variety, conditions of growth, and state of maturity such as might be decisive in the choice of a cotton for an application dependent upon swelling. In Part I of this study a method is discussed for determining swelling capacities of cotton and other fibers. It is based on the measurement of the rate of loss of moisture from a moisturesaturated sample. Experimentally, this method is exceedingly simple—the fiber samples, fully swollen and containing excess water, are dried very slowly and weighed periodically. It is shown that for a time the moisture is lost at a nearly constant rate. Eventually, however, the drying rate changes and thereafter steadily diminishes. It is believed that this change occurs only after all nonswelling water external to the fiber has evaporated. The moisture regain at this point of transition in the desiccation rate is considered to be indicative of the maximum water-holding capacity of the cellulose— i.e ., the swelling capacity. The moisture regain values determined are in general agreement with the regain values estimated from adsorption isotherms at 100% relative humidity. The maximum regain values from the desiccation rate technique, when expressed in terms of volume increases, agree with the swelling capacities as determined by microscopic measurements.Although the experimental method is simple and direct and more rapid than microscopic methods, the long drying periods required make it suitable mainly for use in research when time is not an important consideration. THESE STUDIES on the measurement of the swelling capacities of textile fibers were carried out with two principal objectives: to contribute to the knowledge of the fundamental properties of cotton, and to contribute to the development of water-resistant fabrics of the type which resist water penetration by self-sealing following wetting. To meet the first objective requires a method that is precise enough and sensitive enough to detect the small differences in swelling capacity that may be due to variety, growth conditions, maturity, etc. To meet the second objective requires a simple and rapid technique for selecting the most suitable cotton in advance of the spinning and weaving operations, since self-sealing has been shown to be materially dependent upon swelling capacity [8].A method is discussed herein for ascertaining swelling capacities which is based on the measurement of the rate of loss of moisture by the fiber sample. Experimentally this method, called the &dquo;desiccation rate&dquo; technique, is excee...

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“…They were embedded in methacrylate [8], but this agent is known to cause swelling. To prevent this swelling, fingernail polish [ 11 ] or collodium [5] was brushed on the top of the bundle.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%