Agency:

Agricultural Research Service

June 21, 1994

The invention is cotton cellulose fiber with its entire crystalline lattice consisting essentially of cellulose III that is highly stable in the presence of water. This fiber has improved resistance to abrasion and increased permeability to chemicals. Cotton cellulose fiber, which may be selected from either yarn, fabric or cotton bolls, is treated with ammonia vapors at about ambient to 140 degrees C and from about 100 psi to 1700 psi for sufficient time to alter the interatomic planar distances, producing the stable crystalline cellulose III polymorph. Crystalline cellulose III can also be immersed in ethylenediamine and then boiled in dimethylformamide to completely convert cellulose III to cellulose IV.

Lawrence Y. Yatsu	Timothy A. Calamari, Jr.
USDA, ARS, SRRC	USDA, ARS, SRRC
New Orleans, LA	New Orleans, LA
(504) 286-4276	(504) 286-4265
Ruth R. Benerito (retired)
USDA, ARS, SRRC
New Orleans, LA

Industry Keywords:

cotton, textile, cellulose, fiber, yarn, chemical finish, cellulose III