| Abstract: | Cotton fibers were treated with anhydrous mixtures of ethylenediamine and morpholine of varying proportions to study the changes in accessibility (X-ray crystallinity index, swelling by propanol-2 retention, formylaiton, and dyeability) as well as lattice conversions from cellulose I to cellulose II and cellulose III. Positive synergistic influence of the highest order was noticed at 70:30 (molar proportion 3:1) ethylenediamine–morpholine mixture as judged from accessibility and lattice conversion from cellulose I to cellulose II. The same critical proportion was found to give the highest order of negative synergistic effect in the lattice conversion of cellulose I into cellulose III. These opposing trends have been explained on the basis of the different mechanisms associated with the lattice conversions of cellulose I into cellulose II and cellulose III. |
