CHANGES OF CHARACTERISTICS OF A RAMIE FIB ER AND A LINEN FIBER DURINGVIBRATION BALL-MILLING

In this study, changes of the properties of a ramie fiber and a linen fiber with and without toluene due to ball milling in air and argon we re investigated by N-2 gas adsorption measurement, scanning electron m icroscopy, X-ray powder diffractometry, heat of wetting measurement, a nd chemical analysis. The following results were obtained. Grinding in every condition led initially to a rapid fibrillation of the ramie an d linen fibers, and to an increase of their specific surface areas. Fi nally, these fibers transformed into the fine particles, and specific surface areas decreased. Also, grinding of these fibers caused drastic decreases of their crystallinity and degree of polymerization. The ef fect of grinding atmospheres on surface activity of ground samples inc reased in the following order: in air > in argon gas > in air with tol uene > control. Toluene adsorbed on the surface of the ground fibers s eemed to act as a radical scavenger, thereby reducing the surface acti vity and preventing agglomeration of the ground fibers.