APPLICATIONS OF NUCLEAR RADIATION AND RADIOISOTOPES TO TEXTILE MATERIALS AND PROCESSES. Progress Report, December 1, 1960 to August 31, 1961. Quarterly Report, June 1, 1961 to August 31, 1961
The rate of graft polymerization of acrylonitrile to cotton by the vapor- phase technique was increased by an increase in the flow rate of the carrier gas (nitrogen). The rate of grafting was also increased by both partial acetylation and cyanoethylation of the cotton but was unaffected by partial methylation and carboxymethylation. In the instance of acetylation the rate of grafting is directly proportional to the degree of substitution. The effect of oxygen on the graft polymerization of acrylonitrile to cotton, cyanoethylated cotton, acetate, and triacetate was investigated. The data indicated that graft polymerization of acrylonitrile to cotton, which was small in any case, was affected very little by trace quantities of oxygen. Oxygen decreased the amount of grafting tremendously with cyanoethylated cotton as well as with the acetates, which showed the largest effect. Gamma radiation of cotton inhibited microorganism attack for a short period of time and retarded the rate of spore growth. The graft polymerization of acrylonitrile to cotton cloth produced a material resistant to attack by penicillium oxalicum and to heat degradation. Acrylonitrile addition of 4% or more prevented completely the spore growth of penicillium oxalicum for 28 days at 28 plus or minus 2 deg C and 95% relative humidity and the breaking strength of the cloth was unaffected by the microorganism. The loss in breaking strength of cotton cloth grafted with acrylonitrile and heated for 16 hours at 160 deg C decreased linearly with acrylonitrile content from 40% for untreated cotton to 27% for 12% acrylonitrile content. Post-irradiation grafting of acrylonitrile to cotton was also investigated. Cotton yarn skeins were irradiated in a nitrogen atmosphere and then placed in either boiling acrylonitrile or the acrylonitrile vapors. There was no addition of acrylonitrile to the cotton under the latter conditions. There was some homopolymer formed in the boiling acrylonitrile and some surface polymer and grafted polymer on the cotton yarn. Further investigations were initiated in an attempt to explain the poor results obtained by the post-irradiation experiment. Acrylonitrile was grated by the vapor phase technique to cotton, cyanoethylated cotton, acetate, and triacetate. It was found that water was necessary for the graft polymerization of acrylonitrile to cotton but not to the derivatives. Oxygen had little effect on the addition of acrylonitrile to cotton and decreased the rate of addition to cyanoethylated cotton and the acetates. Irradiation of filament yarns of rayon, acetate, polyamide, acrylic, polyester, and polypropylene in a nitrogen atmosphere in a Co/ sup 60/ source (3.8 x 10/sup 5/ roentgens per hour) did not change significantly the physical properties (breaking strength, elongation, and modulus) over the range of absorbed dose of 1 x 10/sup 3/ rad to 5 x 10/sup 5/ rads. It was demonstrated that copper, manganese, and gold could be added to cotton yarn as tracers for activation analysis. Gamma spectra were obtained on the various textile fibers for the long and medium half-life isotopes. For some of the fibers, spectra of the short half-life isotopes were also obtained. (P.C.H.)
- Research Organization:
- North Carolina State Coll., Raleigh. School of Textiles
- NSA Number:
- NSA-17-027634
- OSTI ID:
- 4714542
- Report Number(s):
- NCSC-2477-4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
APPLICATIONS OF NUCLEAR RADIATION AND RADIOISOTOPES TO TEXTILE MATERIALS AND PROCESSES. Quarterly Report, March 1, 1961-May 31, 1961
A VAPOR-PHASE TECHNIQUE FOR RADIATION-INDUCED GRAFTING OF VINYL MONOMERS TO FIBERS
Related Subjects
ACETIC ACID
ACETYLATION
ACRYLATES
ACTIVATION ANALYSIS
AMIDES
CELLULOSE
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COBALT 60
COPPER
CYANIDES
DECOMPOSITION
EFFICIENCY
FIBERS
FUNGI
GAMMA RADIATION
GAMMA SOURCES
GAMMA SPECTROMETERS
GOLD
GRAFTS
HEATING
INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS OF ISOTOPES AND RADIATIONS
IRRADIATION
ISOMERS
MANGANESE
METHYLATION
MICROORGANISMS
NITROGEN
OXYGEN
PENICILLIUM
POLYESTERS
POLYMERIZATION
POLYMERS
RADIATIONS
RADIOISOTOPES
STABILITY
TENSILE PROPERTIES
TEXTILES
TRACE AMOUNTS
TRANSPLANTS
USES
VAPORS
WATER