Orientation of aqueous stretched cottons as measured by X-ray diffraction

The structural changes produced by aqueous swelling and stretching in cotton is found to be irreversible. This article present the X-ray angle data of six varieties of cotton that belong to Gossypium hirsutum. A marked decrease in X-ray angles was found in all treated samples, thereby indicating better orientation. Improvement in the orientation is associated with ncrease in the stretch. The improvement is high in all tension-dried cottons, showing the impact of the tension drying. Similar improved orientation is found in all varieties, indicating the varietal response of G. hirsutum. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.