Effect of Mercerization on the Spiral Angle of Different Varieties of Cotton

Abstract

<span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:" calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:="" "times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-theme-font:="" minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:arial;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:="" en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="">X-ray angle (<i>φ</i>) and birefringence values (Δ<i> n</i>) of eight carieties of cotton were measured before and after subjecting them to swelling and stretching treatments in NaOH. Although the cottons represent a wide range of <i>φ</i> and Δ <i>n</i> in the untreated state, the differences narrow down considerably as a result of deconvolution accompanying slack mercerization, suggesting that convolutions account for a large part of the orientation differences found among raw cottons. However, the residual differences in <i>φ</i> and Δ <i>n</i> among the slack swollen samples were significant and were found to persist at all levels of stretch, indicative of distinct varietal differences in the spiral angle.</span>