ISSN:
0098-1273
Keywords:
Physics
;
Polymer and Materials Science
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Physics
Notes:
Specimens of regenerated cellulose films (cellophane) have been inoculated with cellulolytic fungi and the resulting degradation monitored through change in physical properties. Investigation of structure-property relationship in cellophane have revealed that surface microfibrils are highly oriented parallel to the manufacturing machine direction, while those in the film interior exist in a somewhat disordered array. Cellulase enzymes have been observed to diffuse appreciable distances from their point of application and to attack disordered regions more readily than the crystallites. Damage to surface microfibrils appears to involve their being cleaved into short segments. The fungus studied in this work forms a network of hyphae that covers much of the specimen surface soon after growth starts; hyphae penetrate into the film and proceed to remove its core more rapidly than surface layers. Tensile strength declines progressively as this degradation occurs, but vapor barrier properties remain essentially unchanged over the period of these studies. The suggests that intrusion of hyphae, in combination with enzymatic digestion of cellulose, rapidly lowers load-bearing characteristics, but moisture permeation rates stay nearly constant owing to the presence of fungal material at sites where cellulose has been removed.
Additional Material:
12 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pol.1973.180110212
