Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-01-03
MYSTERIES OF COTTON
Chemistry Making Progress in UR-
explored.
so FAR LITTLE HAS BEEN DlsC4ssEDi
Fibre is Being Converted Into silk and
High Explosives az Well az Cloth,
and Seed Yield Valuable Food fos
MAJ and Renat " 49, -s.aF 49, u.

/ we. the people of the south, are ac-
customed to seeing cotton fields of
vast extent and are thoroughly famil-
lar with cotton farming, and since our
country Is dotted with cotton ginneriss
and textile mills 1t will not be neces-.
sary to speak of. the process OF remov-
Ing the lint from the seed and making
cloth from the lint. However, let Us
look beyond our own horizon and see
what are some of the uses OF cotton.
with which we are not so familiar. &
First, let us consider the chemical
constitution of cotton and the manner
In which the fibres are built, Cotton is
essentially ceilulose, (C-6, HID 0-s). |.
Each Individual fibre Is a long tubular,
cell: but as it's growth. proceeds. the
cell walls become thinner, and finally
4 collapse, forming a fiat tube, AS the
fbres which are thick'y attached 70
the seed, develop q mass OF lint Is
formed which in time, bursts the in
closing boil, thereby exposing the
fbres to the light and air. These
natural agents solidlfy the liquid cell
! contents which then deposit somewhat
irreguiarly upon the cell wall, causing
the fibre to twist into a special shape.
kTnen viewed under a microscope one
OF these dryffibres appears as a'tw1st-
ed, irregular and fiattened tube, taper
ing to a point at one end.
The unique fibres are comparatively
straight. ibut twist and curl when made
Iinto yarn. tbey are difficult TO dye
and eause specks in the dyed goods.
Cotton fibre has an outside skin or
flm. of modified cellulose and on the
surface OF this Is deposit of wax
and oily matter which affords protec-
tion against the action of moisture.
Cold dilute mineral acids have prac-
tically no effect upon the cellulose OF.
the ftbres. however, IL allowed TO dry
ON the yf,bre the acid quickly attacks It.
Concentrated sulphuric acid converts
cotton into gelatinous mass from
which starch like body called afny-
| Ioid can be precipitated by the add
! tion of water. Parchment paper Is
rnanef ha,36e d tim shrface layer or
amyloId formed by the short action Of
,bs strong acid. + By allowing longer
action ~ the acid, cotton tibre is con-
verted into 4 soluble compound (celia-
lose sulphurine acid), then into dextin.
and finally into dextrose (grape sugar).,
Hence Il is possible to obtain sugar
nd also grain alcohol from cotton.
Jobn Mercer discovered that the
tI,s,ra and afanity for coloring matter
os cotton conld he greatly increased by
treot,ng the f,hres with a dilute solu.
,,o, q, caustic soda Cotton treated In
th,. n,., i. known os "rnercerized cot
to.., "a noo,essas siikv lustre. The
nataria, % held on a tension frame,
whi,e being treated and is kept on the
~, tho c.ns.io is washed out.
,m..u ,a,ln,osa. or msrcerized cot
~ ov,o.,ea IN carbon diuulphide
go, ooil,,,osa tbjaca rbonate..
,.ia ooo,,,,,n,,,a yben treated with
''n. sI ..,a,, ,,iooo,,s anhstance
, va, =. Us .,.,.oass Ru Forcing yis-
"osa ,,ror., tne canillary tubes, and
=, Tho mo time causine the viscose,
,,,. ,,o,n. os beat NJ. certain salts. to
aeoomnosa into cellulcse hydrate free
snsam o.s 90 rhon aisnlnbide a thread
sos no,,,n, aeciaedlv silky
mi, ,..a.,a 90 a thread Of artt-
sa,n, IN, y,scosa Il also used for pa
rar s;,,n. os a cement. and as a mix
,,, ,.nt IN textiIe printfng.
wien ca,,n,os. IL treated With acetic
on,,y6r;da IN the presence of little
nherol .s,,nhuric acid. cellulose tiace-
,ato 10 formed This compound is solu-
,ia IN .b,oroform and IN acetylene te-
-. ,hlorIde but is inso,uble in water.
:, 70 used IN kodak films, waterproofing
and Insulation.
Cotton is very useful In the manu-
facture of explosives. Gun cotton Is
! made by soaking cotton wool in a mix
ture OF one part nitric acid ana
tbreo narts sulphuric acid for twenty
S,,r hours and then thoroughly wash