Optimization of carboxymethylcellulose production

Abstract

The aim of the study was to obtain water soluble carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) with a high degree of polymerization (DP gt 600) and high degree of substitution (DS gt 800), in industrial conditions, from easily degradable eucalyptus cellulose. The influence of temperature and of the NaOH:MCAA molar ratio cellulose on the structural and degradative changes in cellulose macromolecules during the process was investigated using ethanol as the reaction medium. The structural transformations during alkalization and etherification were investigated by X-ray diffraction. The degradative changes in the macromolecule were followed by determining the degree of polymerization. The degree of substitution and other chemical characteristics were determined by standard analytical methods. The thermal behaviour of the samples was studied by using a Perkin Elmer DSC-2 instrument. The rheological properties of the CMC solutions were also studied.