Physical properties of cellulosic fibers treated under ultra-high pressure

It was found out that the cellulosic fibers could be controlled washing shrinkage by treating in wet state under the ultra-high pressure over 100MPa. In this study, we investigated the shrinkage of the cellulosic fabric under high pressure treatment and the simultaneous change in their molecular-level structures and their physical properties. The high-pressure shrinkage for cotton fabric decreased with the treating temperature and the treating pressure, which enhanced the washing shrinkage. On the other hand, the shrinkage of rayon fabric was almost independent of the treating temperature and pressure. The tenacity of treated fabrics decreased after the treatment at high temperature and high pressure. Moreover, the molecular weight of a cellulose molecule in cotton decreased after the high-pressure treatment. The crystalline structure unchanged through the treatment, but the physical properties of the amorphous region was affected by the treatment, which was confirmed from dynamic loss tangent.