Practicing Success
How much cellulose is present in cotton? |
80-85% 75-80% >90% <70% |
>90% |
More than 90% of a cotton fiber consists of cellulose. The exact percentage of cellulose in a specific cotton fiber sample depends on whether the fiber is wet or dry, and on how much effort has been made to extract the non-cellulosic components. For example, when it is equilibrated at 65% relative humidity at 20oC, cotton contains slightly more than 7% of absorbed water by weight. Hence the percentage of cellulose in a cotton fiber can range anywhere from just a little over 90% (wet, and with none of its non-cellulosic components extracted) to >99% (dry, with most of its non-cellulosic components extracted). |