Cellulose diffusion rate

The substrate also has an important influence on diffusion of the dye. The diffusion rate increases with caustic soda treatment or mercerization of cotton. However, with regenerated cellulose fibers, which have a marked skin-core structure, the outer parts of the fiber can act as a diffusion barrier. 

Based on properties in solution such as intrinsic viscosity and sedimentation and diffusion rates, conclusions can be drawn concerning the polymer configuration. Like most of the synthetic polymers, such as polystyrene, cellulose in solution belongs to a group of linear, randomly coiling polymers. This means that the molecules have no preferred structure in solution in contrast to amylose and some protein molecules which can adopt helical conformations. Cellulose differs distinctly from synthetic polymers and from lignin in some of its polymer properties. Typical of its solutions are the comparatively high viscosities and low sedimentation and diffusion coefficients (Tables 3-2 and 3-3). 

The observation that the diffusion rate (save for the exceptional data of Urry) is proportional to the pressure is typical of a very wide class of diffusion membranes of silica, glass, basalt, rubber porcelain, cellulose, collodion, and various polymeric products from styrene, vinyl acetate and similar substances. It may be characteristic of activated diffusion (p. 125) or of various types of flow down tubes (Chap. II). On the other hand, there are... 

Cotton linters or wood pulp are nitrated using mixed acid followed by treatment with hot acidified water, pulping, neutralization, and washing. The finished product is blended for uniformity to a required nitrogen content. The controlling factors in the nitration process are the rates of diffusion of the acid into the fibers and of water out of the fibers, the composition of mixed acid, and the temperature (see Cellulose esters, inorganic esters). 

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