| Abstract: | To determine the location of grafted poly(methyl methacrylate) in orthocortex structure of fine Australian Merino wool fibers, high-resolution electron microscopy was used. Optimal staining conditions for the observation of the deposited polymer were also studied. It was supposed that the grafted polymer is located mainly between the microfibril and matrix and around the protofibrillar subunits, but not in the matrix. The average space occupied by a grafted chain was estimated to be about four times as large as the total residue volume per polymer. It is supposed that the remarkably large space available per polymer chain is related to the excessive swelling seen with respect to the polymer uptake. |
