The crystalline ultrastructure of flax fibers was studied using diffraction contrast transmission electron microscopy applied to ultrathin transverse sections obtained with an experimental diamond knife with a cutting angle of only 26.6°. This technique permitted the recording of electron micrographs where individual crystalline microfibrils could be seen in the middle of their tightly packed arrangements. The microfibrils in flax had diameters ranging from 1 to 4 nm; in some instances their angular and nearly square contours were revealed.
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