文摘
Aqueous suspensions of dispersed Glaucocystis cellulose microfibrils were sonicated at 4?°C for 3?h, using 24?kHz ultrasonic waves. This treatment induced a variety of ultrastructural defects, as the microfibrils became not only shortened, but also presented substantial damage materialized by kinks and subfibrillation. Upon analysis by X-ray diffraction and 13C solid-state NMR spectroscopy, it was found that the initial sample that contained 90?% of cellulose Iα allomorph became, to a large extent, unexpectedly converted into the Iβ phase, while the loss of crystallinity was only moderate during the sonication treatment.