CELL 265 |
| The microfibril cellulose structure of the fiber cell wall forms an intricate ultra-structural network incorporating hemicelluloses and lignin. The formation of aggregates of these cellulose microfibrils is believed to be of importance for the mechanical properties of the fiber. These aggregates are not uniform in size but show a considerable span in variability. This fact may suggest interconnections between aggregates that may imply a three-dimensional lenticular network arrangement. Such an arrangement may explain the occurrence of the changes in aggregate sizes occurring both with chemical and mechanical processing. In this paper the variability in aggregate size distribution is examined and related to the structural variability in the cell wall. The possibilities for altering this structure are related to the changes in the overall structure of the cell wall. The relation between aggregate size distribution and various mechanical properties is also investigated and the possibilities of property enhancement are analyzed. |
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Nanotechnology: A Fiber Perspective
8:20 AM-11:45 AM, Thursday, April 10, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Rm. R09, Oral
Division of Cellulose & Renewable Materials |