AbstractsChemistry

The molecular configurations of cellulose in the solid state, although of considerable theoretical and technical interest, are still not fully understood. This thesis describes the use of the exchange reaction of tritium between cellulose and water to determine the accessibility of cellulose, and also to indicate changes in the molecular configurations occurring during the repeated wetting and drying of cellulose. The structure of cellulose has been extensively reviewed in many texts (1-4); however, aspects of the fine structure relevant to the present work will be discussed briefly.