Analysis of the evolution of production of hydrated cellulose textile fibres

In summing up the observations given below on the future of new cellulose fibres, including comparing them with natural fibres (cotton), some generalizations can be made: The constant increase in the demand for cellulose-based textile fibres is not only due to the tendency toward a higher standard for clothing and satisfaction of the needs of the growing population, but also to the specific features of the properties of cellulose fibres (natural and man-made), especially hygroscopicity and hygiene: in this respect, the new fibres for linen clothing are significantly better than synthetic fibres, second to the latter only in fabrics for water-repelllent clothing; an analysis of the possibilities of solving the problem of the increasing demand for cellulose fibres by expanding production of cotton and increasing production of man-made cellulose fibres leads to the following conclusions: the increase in areas planted with cotton could be slowed by an increase in the demand for fields for grains and the limited possibilities of restoring previous catastrophically destroyed sources of irrigation water; while preserving or expanding production of cotton, primarily by increasing productivity, it is necessary to significantly increase production of man-made fibres; for this reason, the main restriction which had previously not permitted adding new HC fibre enterprises primarily produced by the viscose process, which does not meet current ecological requirements, has been removed; for this reason, the advances in spinning of cellulose fibres from solutions in “direct” solvents (primarily MMO) make this method fundamental in solving the problem of satisfying the demand for cellulose fibres; in using the new method of manufacturing HC fibres, one of the serious conditions for increasing total production of chemical fibres should also be considered; this does not eliminate the need for progress in the synthetic fibre field, although with respect to some physical, particularly strength, properties, MMO fibres can partially take on the function of textile materials which synthetic, basically polyester, fibres currently fulfill; some properties of the new fibres, in particular, their capacity for surface fibrilation, require improvement, but although this is difficult, it is nevertheless a totally solvable problem. The questions discussed in the present article require further elaboration and more precise definition, but they undoubtedly constitute an important part of the overall prognosis for production and correspondingly scientific studies of fibres.