Cellulose microcrystal film of high uniaxial orientation

Birefringent gel had been observed in the study of liquid crystalline cellulose suspension. This paper extends this study and establishes a way to make a highly oriented gel of crystalline cellulose under shear flow conditions using simple equipment. A rotation of a glass vial containing an aqueous suspension of cellulose microcrystal results in the formation of a gellike layer on the inner surface of a glass tube. A film composed of highly oriented microcrystals is obtained by drying this gel layer.