On the Size of the Intermicellar Spaces and Capillaries in Jute Fibers as Revealed by X-Ray Analysis

Abstract

The dimensions of the intermicellar regions and capillaries in raw jute fibers have been estimated from the sizes of the colloidal gold and silver particles deposited in the fiber under different conditions of deposition. It has been inferred that the dimensions of the colloidal particles indicate only the dimensions of the capillaries after they have been enlarged by swelling or by the deposition process itself. The size of the particles determined is of the order of 100 A in raw jute fiber ; it has been pointed out that they remain within wider capillaries present in jute fiber because the intermicellar region is too small to accommodate these particles. Unlike ramie, in jute fibers treated for a short time with weaker solutions these particles cannot form even within these capillaries. They form within much wider capillaries (about 200 A in diameter), partly because the smaller capillaries are blocked by the noncellulosic amorphous materials (especially lignin) and partly because the swelling of ramie fibers is faster than that of jute fibers having a very high lignin content. This has also been corroborated by the fact that the dimensions of these dispersoids in holocellulose increase to 126 A.