Specular Reflectance FTIR has been used to follow the chemical changes in cellulose when cotton cloth was aged for 2, 4, 7, 11, 14, 23, and 31 hours at 190°C in air and in nitrogen. The infrared absorptions of carbonyl and carboxylate groups were measured from the 1600-1750 cm-1 region. After 31 hours of aging in air and in nitrogen, the extent of carboxylate formation was approximately the same although oxidation proceeded more rapidly in air. The rate of aging in nitrogen proceeded at a uniform rate over 31 hours whereas in air, a leveling off point was reached after 11 hours. The dependence of the formation of carboxylate on the accessibility of OH groups is discussed. These results indicate the exceptional use of Specular Reflectance absorbance infrared spectroscopy for rapid, sensitive, and nondestructive detection of oxidation degradation in cotton textiles.
The aging of cellulosic textiles includes a complex set of reactions involving oxidation, hydrolysis, crosslinking. and chain scission.(1-3) Slow degradation at room temperature is cumulative and can be followed by a chemical change in the cellulose structure or by a physical change in some measured parameter. Often artificial heat-aging is used to simulate the natural aging process assuming that similar changes occur.(4-7) These changes from thermal aging in air. in nitrogen, or in vacuo affect cellulose structural morphology, chemical accessibility, and the extent of degradation. (8-11)
General Infrared Spectroscopy BackgroundInfrared spectroscopy is recognized as a universal instrumental method for analyzing changes in chemical structure. (12-13) There are a variety of infrared techniques which include Transmission.