Some Relationships Between Supermolecular Structure and Mechanical Behavior of Native and Chemically Modified Cotton Cellulose1

Cotton fibers are constructed principally of macromolecules of cellulose. These are disposed in the fiber in such a way as to display a number of aspects, which collectively may be referred to as the "supermolecular structure." It includes such features as molecular chain length, polymolecularity, natural cross-linkage, crystallinity, crystal modification, crystallite size, orientation. accessibility, and chemical modification. Super imposed on these structural aspects is the gross morphology of the fiber itself. Many of these aspects have an influence in one way or another upon the response which the fiber makes when subjected to a variety of mechanical forces, which collectively may be referred to as "mechanical behavior." Among the responses considered are strength, elongation, stiffness, toughness, elasticity, and resilience. Selected examples are pre sented, showing how the mechanical behavior is conditioned in various ways by the supermolecular structure.