David J. Stanonis

The Preparation and Properties of Partially Benzylated Cotton

Ternary systems, such as alcohol. water, and sodium hydroxide, have been used in the pretreatment bath or have been added in fixed quantities to cotton prior to etherifi cation with benzyl chloride. Evidence has been obtained which supports an hypothesis that increased reagent solubility, coupled with control of the cellulose: sodacellulose equilibrium. can lead to essentially homogeneous cotton cellulose modifications. In addition, the experiments have resulted in the preparation of interesting fibrous cellulose ethers. These ethers retained many of the desirable mechanical properties of the original cotton and showed increases in elastic recovery, decreased permanent set, sub stantivity to disperse dyes, microbiological resistance, and a high degree of thermo plasticity.

Interaction of Carbamates and Their N-Methylol Derivatives with Cotton and Sephadex, Measured by Gel Filtration:

During gel filtration from cotton or Sephadex columns, there was, with only one exception, an increase in sorption as the molecular weight of an unsubstituted n-alkyl carbamate was increased by the addition of methylene groups. When a given carbamate was converted to its monomcthylol derivative, sorption decreased progressively. The addition of the first formaldehyde molecule produced a more pronounced effect than did the addition of the second.

A Simple Density Method for the Analysis of Fabric Blends of Cotton and a PET Polyester

A practically linear relationship has been found to exist between the polyester content of a cotton/PET polyester fabric blend and the ml of n-heptane, called the B value, that must be added to 100 ml of carbon tetrachloride in order to prepare a solution in which the cotton/polyester blend will neither sink nor float. It is a simple matter to determine the polyester content of a fabric blend from its B value.

Microscopical Properties of Some Cellulose Ethers

Microscopical features of partially etherified cotton fibers are described through examination of benzyl, benzhydryl, and trityl celluloses. Reaction appeared to be uniform throughout the fibers. Refractive indices generally increased with increase in degree of substitution (DS). Both benzhydryl and trityl celluloses exhibited zero birefringence at intermediate levels of reaction. The birefringence of tritylated cotton increased at higher levels of substitution. Sub stituted cotton fibers are diflicult to beat apart in water; in common with the cellulose esters, the ethers yielded on beating less and less fibrillar material as DS was increased. Solubility of cross sections in 0.5 M Cupriethylenediamine hydroxide (Cuen) and in chloroform indicated slight differences in fibrillar architecture among the cellulose ethers, and marked differences between ethers and esters attributable to differences in methods of preparation.