Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Comparative Study Of Cellulose I And Ii And Fibers And Nanocrystals, Yiying Yue

LSU Master's Theses

The influence of sodium hydroxide treatment on the structure of cotton fibers was studied. Compared to raw cotton fibers, the entire bundles of mercerized fibers were converted into a swollen and roughened state. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) indicated that intermolecular hydrogen bonding was enhanced by mercerization treatment. Wide-angle X ray diffraction (WXRD) results showed decreased fiber crystallinity after mercerization. The structure of cellulose II fibers was more thermally stable than cellulose I fibers. Mechanical properties of cotton fiber-reinforced polyethylene oxide (PEO) composites demonstrated that both raw and mercerized cotton fibers enhanced their tensile strength of the PEO matrix, but …