The Chemical Reactivity of Ethylamine-Treated Cotton as Indicated by Acetylation

The chemical reactivity of cotton "decrystallized" by treatment with anhydrous ethylamine has been compared with that of the untreated cotton and with mercerized cotton. The degree of acetylation achieved under comparable conditions has been taken as the criterion of reactivity. It was found that the full reactivity of the amine-treated cotton as well as that of the mercerized cotton could be maintained only if drying was avoided after treatment. When maintained wet with nonaqueous solvent the reactivity of the amine-treated cotton was found to be of the same order as that of mercerized cotton which had been maintained water-wet after mercerization. Data are given which indicate that the rate of acetylation and degree of substitution obtained with an amine-treated cotton increase strongly as a function of presoak time in glacial acetic acid.