A MORPHOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF CERIC ION AND PREIRRADIATION ACRYLIC ACID-GRAFTED RAYON FIBERS

Using the ceric ion and preirradiation methods, acrylic acid was graft ed to rayon. The fiber used was large denier (50) continuous filament, particularly suited for examining changes in morphology and propertie s. The grafted fiber was given decrystallization treatments involving ZnCl2 and NaOH. Optimization studies conducted to seek maximum graft w ith minimum homopolymer formation has been published elsewhere.1 Also published earlier were the results of changes in mechanical and physic al properties of the fiber resulting from the grafting and decrystalli zation treatments.2 Presented in this article are the results on the e ffects of these treatments on the structure and the morphology of the fiber. The structural features examined were the molecular orientation , crystallinity and crystalline orientation, and the surface morpholog y. Based on the results of this study and those of the earlier,2 it wa s possible to develop and propose a model of fiber structure that fits the present fiber. (C) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.