Cyanoethylated native cotton fibers and process of making the same

Claim 2

AN IMPROVED FIBROUS CYANOETHYLATED NATIVE COTTON IN WHICH THE AMORPHOUS PORTION OF THE NATIVE COTTON FIBERS IS CHEMICALLY REACTED WITH ACRYLONITRILE TO FORM CYANOETHYLCELLULOSE, THE NITROGEN CONTENT OF THE CYANOETHYLATED COTTON VARYING FROM 0.50% TO 6.5% BASED ON THE DRY WEIGHT OF THE CYANOETHYLATED COTTON IN WHICH SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE ORIGINAL CRYSTALLINE STRUCTURE OF THE NATIVE COTTON FIBERS IS RETAINED, SAID CYANOETHYLATED COTTON HAVING THE APPEARANCE AND HAND OF THE NATIVE COTTON FIBERS, AND INCREASED ABRASION RESISTANCE, INCREASED TENSILE STRENGTH, DECREASED MOISTURE ABSORPTIVITY, AND INCREASED AFFINITY FOR ACETATE, VAT, AND SULFUR DYES COMPARED WITH NATIVE COTTON FIBERS.

Claim 3

THE PROCESS OF TREATING NATIVE COTTON FIBERS TO EFFECT BUT A PARTIAL CYANOETHYLATION OF THE CELLULOSE AND RETAIN THE NATURAL PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF THE FIBERS AND PRODUCE A PRODUCT HAVING EXCEPTIONAL RESISTANCE TO MICRO-ORGANISM DEGRADATION, WHICH COMPRISES PRESTEEPING THE NATIVE CELLULOSE FIBERS IN AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION CONTAINING FROM 0.10% TO 1.75% OF SODIUM HYDROXIDE UNTIL FROM 1.5 TO 22 MILLIGRAMS OF SODIUM HYDROXIDE PER GRAM OF THE COTTON IS SORBED ON THE COTTON, REMOVING FROM THE COTTON SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE ADHERING LIQUID SOLUTION, AND REACTING THE PRESTEEPED COTTON WHILE CONTAINING SAID AMOUNT OF SORBED SODIUM HYDROXIDE WITH LIQUID ACRYLONITRILE AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 46* TO 85*C. FOR A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED 60 MINUTES UNTIL THE AMORPHOUS PORTION OF THE COTTON FIBERS FORM CYANOETHYLCELLULOSE IN SUCH AN AMOUNT THAT THE NITROGEN CONTENT VARIES FROM 2.5% TO 6.5%, THE CRYSTALLINE STRUTURE OF THE COTTON SUBSTANTIALLT UNALTERED.

Claim 4

THE PROCESS OF TREATING NATIVE COTTON FIBERS TO EFFECT BUT A PARTIAL CYANOETHYLATION OF THE CELLULOSE AND RETAIN THE NATURAL PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF THE FIBERS AND PRODUCE A PRODUCT HAVING EXCEPTIONAL RESISTANCE TO MICRO-ORGANISM DEGRADATION, WHICH COMPRISES PRESTEEPING THE NATIVE CELLULOSE FIBERS IN AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION CONTAINING FROM 0.10% TO 1.75% OF SODIUM HYDROXIDE UNTIL FROM 1.5 TO 22 MILLIGRAMS OF SODIUM HYDROXIDE PER GRAM OF THE COTTON IS SORBED ON THE COTTON, REMOVING FROM THE COTTON SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE ADHERING LIQUID SOLUTION, AND REACTING THE PRESTEEPED COTTON WHILE CONTAINING SAID AMOUNT OF SORBED SODIUM HYDROXIDE WITH LIQUID ACRYLONITRILE AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 46* TO 85*C. FOR A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED 60 MINUTES UNTIL THE AMORPHOUS PORTION OF THE COTTON FIBERS FORM CYANOETHYLCELLULOSE IN SUCH AN AMOUNT THAT THE NITROGEN CONTENT VARIES FROM 2.5% TO 6.5%, THE CRYSTALLINE STRUTURE OF THE COTTON SUBSTANTIALLT UNALTERED.