Phase distribution of the products of radiation and postradiation distillation of cellulose

A comparison of the postradiation dry distillation of cellulose and its distillation in the mode of electron-beam radiation heating has shown that irradiation reduces the yield of char and water. Preirradiation of cellulose at doses of 0.2–2.2 MGy stimulates a monotonic increase in the proportion of total organic products in the condensate distilled off during postradiation dry distillation, reducing the proportion of water by one third. Effective distillation of cellulose in the radiation heating mode is observed at a dose rate above ∼1 kGy/s. The condensate distilled off at 1.5–2.5 kGy/s is composed of organic compounds by ∼90% and is characterized by a high density (up to 1.33 g/cm³) and a high refractive index (up to 1.4690).