Cellulosic fibers Properties

Many )ecies of woody plants are used for particular purposes, with their end use being directed by the properties of the wood and economic concerns. Generally, the functional use of wood products is determined by the hydrophilic, hydrophobic, dimensional, and ionic properties of the cellulosic fiber. Small diameter and mixed species of wood have limited uses and are thus low in value. If we could understand how to change the cellulose fiber properties of such materials, alternative sources of fiber could be better exploited and more valuable products made from mixed woody species or recycled fiber. 

Chem. Descrip. Fatty acid deriv. modified Ionic Nature Cationic/nonionic Uses Softener and wetting agent for cellulosic fibers Properties Liq. 

Chem. Descrip. Ethox ated ester/cationic softener/lubricant blend Ionic Nature Nonionic/cationic Uses Water absorbent, softener for cellulosic fibers Properties Liq. 

Uses Fixing agent for textile Industry Improving wet fastness props, of direct and reactive dyes on cellulosic fibers Properties LIq. 

Uses Leveling agent for reactive dyes on cellulosic fibers Properties Liq. 

The predominant cellulose ester fiber is cellulose acetate, a partially acetylated cellulose, also called acetate or secondary acetate. It is widely used in textiles because of its attractive economics, bright color, styling versatiUty, and other favorable aesthetic properties. However, its largest commercial appHcation is as the fibrous material in cigarette filters, where its smoke removal properties and contribution to taste make it the standard for the cigarette industry. Cellulose triacetate fiber, also known as primary cellulose acetate, is an almost completely acetylated cellulose. Although it has fiber properties that are different, and in many ways better than cellulose acetate, it is of lower commercial significance primarily because of environmental considerations in fiber preparation. 

The bulk properties of regenerated cellulose are the properties of Cellulose II which is created from Cellulose I by alkaline expansion of the crystal stmcture (97,101) (see Cellulose). The key textile fiber properties for the most important current varieties of regenerated cellulose are shown in Table 2. Fiber densities vary between 1.53 and 1.50. 

Air and Oil Filters. Liquid resole resins are used to coat and penetrate the cellulose fibers of filters and separators in order to increase strength and stiffness and protect against attack by the environment. The type of phenoHc to be used depends on both the final property requirements and the papermaking process. 

The modem interest in composite materials can be traced to the development of BakeHte, or phenoHc resin, in 1906. BakeHte was a hard, brittle material that had few if any mechanical appHcations on its own. However, the addition of a filler— the eadiest appHcations used short cellulose fibers (2)—yielded BakeHte mol ding compounds that were strong and tough and found eady appHcations in mass-produced automobile components. The wood dour additive improved BakeHte s processibiHty and physical, chemical, and electrical properties, as weU as reducing its cost (3,4). 

Anth nthrones. Halogenated derivatives have been developed to improve the dyeing properties of anthanthrones, which have low tinctorial strength and poor affinity to cellulose fibers. The only example of commercial significance is Cl Vat Orange 3 [4378-614] (4) Cl 59300). This compound is prepared from l,l -dinaphthyl-8,8 -dicarboxyhc acid (173) with oleum and bromine as follows ... 

Tensile strength of the fibers is also determined by the refinement of the fiber [14] (Fig. 4). Hydrophilic properties are a major problem for all cellulose fibers. The moisture content of the fibers amounts to 10 wt% at standard atmosphere. Their hydrophilic behavior influences the properties of the fiber itself (Table 3) as well as the properties of the composite at production [15]. 

Electric discharge methods are known [31] to be very effective for nonactive polymer substrates such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, etc. They are successfully used for cellulose-fiber modification to decrease the melt viscosity of cellulose-polyethylene composites [32] and to improve the mechanical properties of cellulose-polypropylene composites [28]. 

An older method of cellulose fiber modification is mercerization [22,33-36], which has been widely used on cotton textiles. Mercerization is an alkali treatment of cellulose fibers. It depends on the type and concentration of the alkalic solution, its temperature, time of treatment, tension of the material, and the additives used [33,36]. At present there is a tendency to use mercerization for natural fibers as well. Optimal conditions of mercerization ensure the improvement of the tensile properties [33-35,37] and absorption characteristics [33-35], which are important in the composing process. 

Strongly polarized cellulose fibers [38] inherently are rarely compatible with hydrophobic polymers [28, 39-41]. When two materials are incompatible, it is often possible to bring about compatibility by introducing a third material that has properties that are intermediate between those of the other two. There are several mechanisms [42] of coupling in materials ... 

The surface energy of fibers is closely related to the hydrophilicity of the fiber [38]. Some investigations are concerned with methods to decrease hydrophilicity. The modification, of wood cellulose fibers with stearic acid [43] hydrophobizes those fibers and improves their dispersion in polypropylene. As can be observed in jute-reinforced unsaturated polyester resin composites, treatment with polyvinylacetate increases the mechanical properties [24] and moisture repellency. 

The mechanical properties of composites reinforced with wood fibers and PVC or PS as resin can be improved by an isocyanate treatment of those cellulose fibers [41,50] or the polymer matrix [50]. Polymethylene-polyphenyl-isocianate (PMPPIC) in pure state or solution in plasticizer can be used. PMPPIC is chemically linked to the cellulose matrix through strong covalent bonds (Fig. 8). 

Tests by Gatenholm et al. [8,10] on PHB-HV copolymers containing cellulose fibers (for example, the tradenamed Biopol) show that the mechanical properties of these systems are determined by the fiber and the fiber matrix interface on the one hand, and on the other hand by the composition of the matrix, that is, of HV proportion in the matrix. At an increased proportion of HV, the stiffness of the composite is reduced up to 30%, whereas elongation at break increases until about 60%. 

When used as substitutes for asbestos fibers, plant fibers and manmade cellulose fibers show comparable characteristic values in a cement matrix, but at lower costs. As with plastic composites, these values are essentially dependent on the properties of the fiber and the adhesion between fiber and matrix. Distinctly higher values for strength and. stiffness of the composites can be achieved by a chemical modification of the fiber surface (acrylic and polystyrene treatment [74]), usually produced by the Hatschek-process 75-77J. Tests by Coutts et al. [76] and Coutts [77,78] on wood fiber cement (soft-, and hardwood fibers) show that already at a fiber content of 8-10 wt%, a maximum of strengthening is achieved (Fig. 22). 

A surprisingly low concentration of water can reduce the viscosity such that reclaimed PET cannot be used for the blow molding of bottles with acceptable physical properties. The established solution to the moisture problem is to dry the recycled PET in special dryers prior to use. However, the drying process is both time and energy intensive. Paper labels can cause problems in PET recycling if they decompose during washing and removal. The paper fibers formed can produce cellulose fibers that are difficult to remove from the reprocessed PET.1... 

Because of their good stability, wetting, and leveling properties ether carboxylates are used for vat dyeing of cellulosic fibers [170,171],... 

Composites are combinations of two or more materials with the properties shown by individual components. They are made to perform as a single material. Nature made the first composite in living things. Wood is a composite of cellulose fibers held together with a matrix of lignin. Most sedimentary rocks are composites of particles bonded together by... 

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