GB685843A - Improved cellulosic product - Google Patents

Abstract

A cellulosic product suitable for conversion into rayon consists of cotton, or alkali cellulose formed from cotton, in which is incorporated 0.01-0.2 per cent by weight, based on the bone dry weight of the cotton, of a polyalkylene oxide polymerization compound selected from the group comprising a polyalkylene oxide, a mixed ether having attached to the ether oxygen a polyalkylene oxide radical and a hydrocarbon radical containing more than 7 carbon atoms, and a mixed thioether having attached to the sulphur atom a polyalkylene oxide radical and a hydrocarbon radical containing more than 7 carbon atoms, this polymerization compound being dispersible in water and stable in a solution of alkali metal hydroxide. The hydrocarbon radical of more than 7 carbon atoms may be aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, or aromatic-aliphatic. The polyalkylene oxide radical may contain 5-20 alkenoxy residues. Saturated or unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon radicals may be present. Polyethylene and polypropylene oxides may be used, e.g. polyethylene oxide which has a freezing point of at least 34 DEG C., or polypropylene oxide having a specific viscosity of 0.065-0.138 measured at 18 DEG C. in a benzene solution containing 4 per cent by weight of the compound. A mixed ether containing a polyethylene oxide radical and a cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon radical derived from abietic acid may be used, e.g. the hydrocarbon radical may be dihydro-, dehydro-, or tetrahydro-abietyl. When the hydrocarbon radical is aliphatic it may be lauryl, stearyl, or oleyl. If desired, a mixture of fatty alcohols obtained by catalytic reduction by hydrogen of vegetable or animal oils may be used in the preparation of mixed ethers containing polyethylene oxide radicals and aliphatic hydrocarbon radicals. A solution or dispersion of the polyalkylene oxide compound may be applied to loose cotton fibres or to felted cotton sheets. The addition of the polyalkylene oxide compound in the cotton leads to the production of spinning solutions of high degree of uniformity, and in the case of spinning solutions containing delustring or other pigments it facilitates the dispersion of such pigments. Its ultimate presence during filament-formation inhibits clogging of the extrusion orifices. The process is particularly applicable to the production of filaments by the viscose process. If desired, instead of adding the polyalkylene oxide compound to the cotton, it may be added at a stage prior to completion of the shredding of the alkali-cellulose. Also if desired, the polyalkylene oxide compound may be added together with a small proportion of a cation-active amino compound of a kind described in Specification 685,842. Reference is also made to the use of the treated cotton in the production of other cellulosic products. Specifications 488,620, 541,099, 557,218, 582,310, 601,783 and 634,868 also are referred to.