Abstract
Based on the correlation analysis result of preceding research, the biodegradabilities of cellulose fibers were closely related to the moisture regain of the samples, which reflects the hydrophilicity and internal structure of the fibers. In addition to this factor, it was expected that the biodegradation conditions influence the biodegradability of fibers. In this study, widely used cellulose fibers including cotton, rayon, and acetate were used. The biodegradabilities of cellulose fibers were measured by soilburial test, and then the degradation behaviors based on each condition were compared. Moreover, the effects of degradation conditions such as humidity of the soil were investigated. Changes in the internal structure of samples were also observed by X-ray analysis according to the soil burial time. It was shown that humidity of soil facilitated the degradation of cotton, rayon, and acetate fibers, showing higher degradation rate with higher humidity in soil. This effect was shown to be much greater in the fibers of high moisture regain such as cotton and rayon. In respect of microstructure change, crystallinities and their crystal size of fibers decreased remarkably in the soil of higher humidity. It was revealed that degradation of crystalline area was more dependent on the soil humidity than that of amorphous area.
