AbstractX‐Ray diffraction patterns were obtained for never‐dried cotton in water and compared to those for cotton dried once, rewetted, dried a second time, and rewetted again. In addition, cotton reacted with formaldehyde or acrylamide to “fix” the never‐dried fibers were examined in the never‐dried and rewetted states. Relative crystallinities were found to be indentical for all wet cottons and somewhat lower for dry cotton samples. Half‐widths for the equatorial reflections decreased in the order: first‐dried, second‐dried, never‐dried, first‐rewetted‐second‐rewetted for all cottons. Somewhat broader reflections were observed in the rewetted state for the “fixed” samples than for untreated samples. The results are consistent with a buildup of stress in the cotton fiber on drying and a relaxation of stress on rewetting with some reorganization of cellulose chains in the first rewetting to form larger or more perfect crystallites than in never‐dried cotton. Such reorganization is inhibited, but not pr
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