Metallic Oxides as Barrier Treatments for Prevention of Attack by Light on Cellulose

Abstract

ALTHOUGH the literature contains evidence of sporadic attempts to investigate various types of barrier treatments on cellulose for the prevention of attack by light^1,2,3, no systematic work would appear to have been carried out to date on the subject. The evidence is often conflicting, as in the case of iron compounds^1,2, and in any event the mechanism of protective action of such diverse barriers as have been studied is not clear. In the course of a wider investigation on the elucidation of the mechanism of attack by light on cellulose, which is in progress in this Laboratory, it was considered of immediate practical importance to study on systematic lines the influence of certain metallic oxides deposited on cotton fabric in protecting the latter against actinic attack. While the details of the technique of investigation and the results obtained, particularly on the chemical aspect of protection/deterioration of cellulose, are reserved for a future publication, it is the object of the present note to direct attention to the remarkable effect of manganese (as oxide) in inhibiting actinic deterioration.