Hydrodynamically induced formation of cellulose fibers. III. Coagulation of droplets of cellulose solution in extensional flow

The formation of cellulose fibers by coagulation of drops of cellulose solution in extensional flow was studied theoretically and experimentally. In the theory, which applies for slow-motion conditions, homogeneity of the drop is assumed. The drop deforms according to a previously established deformation mechanism and becomes solid when a critical concentration of coagulant is reached at a certain position inside the drop. The theoretical predictions for the variation of fiber length with various parameters were tested experimentally in a four-roller mill for cellulose/dimethyl sulfoxide/paraformaldehyde with glycerol as coagulant. In agreement with the theoretical predictions, it was found that fiber length increases with shear rate and original droplet size, but decreases with the diffusion coefficient of the coagulant in the cellulose solution.     

Kinetics of adsorption of polyvinylamine on cellulose fibers. I. Adsorption from salt-free solutions

Adsorption of fully hydrolyzed polyvinylamine on cellulose fibers in the short term was investigated by supplying the polymer to the fibers, first instantaneously by pouring the polymer solution into a jar containing the fiber dispersion (jar experiments) and second, at controlled rates (the reactor experiments). In the latter case, the rate of supply of polymer to the fiber dispersion confined in the reactor was monitored by setting the concentration of the solution being injected at a controlled rate. The concentration of the polymer solution exerts a paramount influence on the kinetics of adsorption and on the amount of polymer adsorbed at (or near) fiber surface saturation, while the rate of polymer supply only plays a minor role. The main observation is the emergence of two types of polymer layers corresponding to diffuse and dense layers. The former were characterized by adsorption layers of density smaller than 0.65 mg/g cellulose that are composed of adsorbed polymers having sustained extended flattening in the adsorbed state. The latter reach densities as high as 10 mg/g cellulose when the fiber surface is fully coated, thus indicating that reconformation is limited or even impeded at short terms. The threshold adsorption corresponds more or less to equilibrated layers, since the final coverage determined at adsorption equilibrium did not exceed 0.6 to 0.7 mg/g cellulose.     

Hydrodynamically induced crystallization of polymers from solution

Summary This paper primarily describes an investigation into the origin of persistent lamellar overgrowth of fibrillar crystals with a Shish-kebab morphology. Fibers grown from stirred p-xylene solutions of high molecular weight polyethylene at 108 °C exhibited an average spacing of 1 x 10³ Å between the lamellae when cooled down to room temperature in a normal way. Fibers quenched in liquid nitrogen displaved smaller lamellae with a periodicity of 0.4 x 10³ Å.It was found that the lamellae could be dissolved at 108 °C and recrystallized isothermally on the backbones at temperatures up to 94.6 °C. The spacing between the lamellae increased strongly with temperature in the range between 90.0 °C and 94.6 °C.The temperature dependence of this periodicity could be accounted for by the theory of secondary nucleation in polymer crystallization. The Poisson distribution of the numbers of lamellae along the backbones also suggests that lamellar growth is essentially controlled by the crystallization kinetics.The fibrillar polyethylene crystals grown at elevated temperatures from flowing solutions may be visualized as backbones constituted by partially crystallized polymer molecules and dangling ends extending from the backbones into the surrounding solution resembling centipedes.

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Zusammenfassung Dieser Bericht befaßt sich mit einer Untersuchung des Ursprungs von persistenter lamellarer Überwachsung von Faser-Kristallen mit Schaschlik-Morphologie.Faser-Kristalle, gewachsen aus geruhrten Xylol-Lösungen von hochmolekularem Polyäthylen bei 108 °C, zeigen ein mittleres Intervall zwischen den Lamellen von 1 x 10³ Å, wenn auf normae Weise abgekühlt zur Zimmertemperatur. Fasern, abgeschreckt im flüssigen Stickstoff, zeigen kleinere Lamellen mit einem Zwischenraum von etwa 0.4 x 10³ Å. Es wurde festgestellt, daß die Lamellen bei 108 °C gelöst werden können und von neuem auf den Faserkernen bis zu 94.7 °C kristallisieren. Die Temperaturabhangigkeit dieser Periodizität kann erklärt werden auf Grund der Theorie der sekundären Keimbildung bei polymerer Kristallisation. Wie sich zeigt, gruppiert sich die lamellare Überwachsung um den Kern entsprechend einer Poisson-Verteilung, was darauf hinweist, daß die lamellare Überwachsung wesentlich durch die Kristallisationskinetik bedingt wird.Die faserigen Polyathylenkristalle, bei erhöhter Temperatur hergestellt aus gerührten Lösungen, kann man sich als teilweise kristallisierte Moleküle, im Faserkerne aufgenommen, vorstellen mit langen Kettenenden im umgebenden Lösungsmittel, so ziemlich als einen Tausendfüßler.

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With 12 figures     

Kinetics of adsorption of polyvinylamine on cellulose fibers. II. Adsorption from electrolyte solutions

Adsorption from electrolyte solutions of fully hydrolyzed polyvinylamine on cellulose fibers was investigated by supplying the polymer to the fibers at controlled rate. This was implemented by employing a reactor only open to the fluid in which the fiber dispersion were confined and homogenized. The adsorbed layers may be defined as diffuse or dense layers. Diffuse layers are characterized by a surface coverage limited to 0.65 mg/g cellulose in salt-free solutions. Addition of NaCl or CaCl(2) to the fiber dispersion and the polymer solution promotes the adsorption rate and increases the amount of adsorption to 1.5 mg/g cellulose. For dense polymer layers, for which the coverage amounts to values close to 10 mg/g cellulose in salt-free systems, addition of electrolyte does not change the kinetic and adsorption characteristics. Insofar as the variation of the molecular areas of the polymer within the diffuse layers as a function of the ionic strength parallels the variation of the molecular characteristics of solute molecules, the formation of diffuse layers is expected to proceed by random deposition of solute molecules which later individually sustain strong reconformation. Adsorption isotherms show a limited influence of the ionic strength. Obviously, the passage from dense layers of high surface coverage to low adsorption values at equilibrium requires extended reconformation of adsorbed macromolecules and desorption of a great part of the molecules already adsorbed.     

Hydrodynamically induced crystallization of polymers from solution

Summary This paper primarily describes the large diversity in morphology of fibrillar polyethylene crystals precipitated from stirred solutions at elevated temperatures. Shish-kebabs crystallized at 112°C from stirred xylene solutions of linear polyethylene exhibit lamellar overgrowths having thicknesses of the order of 150 Å from which it was concluded i. a. that at crystallization temperatures above 100°C only backbones are formed and that the surrounding polymer molecules deposit epitaxially on the substrate at lower temperatures. The variation in the appearance of the overgrowth and the inhomogeneity of the samples can be traced back to irregular stacking and to differences in washability of the fibrillar crystals, these differences being largely due to the non-uniform flow pattern along the various stirrer parts. Unusual lamellar shapes, interconnections, sheets between lamellae, the veil on the Shish-kebab noted byKeller andMachin, may well be explained byKeith, Padden andVadimskys mechanism of crystallization-induced orientation of macromolecules between the lamellae and the consequent formation of extendedchain crystals. The lamellar overgrowth appears to be arranged along the backbone according to a logarithmic normal distribution, and the average diameter of the lamellar crystals increases with the average spacing, both being approximately equal in size. The fibrillar crystals end in smooth tapered tails having lengths varying between 5 and 8 .These observed fibre ends agree best with the unroll model proposed for fibrillar crystal growth in flow fields if on the average each molecule introduces one chain fold and the chain ends are randomly assimilated by the crystal lattice. Linear polyethylene below molecular weight of 50×10³ and low density polyethylene did not crystallize in fibrillar habit. whereas copolymers of ethylene and slight amounts of propylene and butylene proved capable of forming fibrillar crystals and isotactic polypropylene yielded smooth and overgrown fibres.

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Zusammenfassung Der Bericht befaßt sich zuerst mit der großen morphologischen Mannigfaltigkeit faseriger, bei erhöhter Temperatur aus gerührten Lösungen gefällter Polyäthylenkristalle. Bei 112°C aus gerührten Xylollösungen von linearem Polyäthylen herauskristallisierte Schaschlik-Strukturen zeigen eine lamellare Überwachsung mit einer Dicke von etwa 150 Å, woraus u. a. geschlossen wird, daß sich bei Kristallisations-temperaturen über 100°C nur Faserkerne bilden und daß die umringenden polymeren Moleküle sich bei niedrigeren Temperaturen epitaxial auf dem Substrat ablagern. Die Verschiedenheit in der Form der Überwachsung und die Inhomogenität der Proben lassen sich erklären durch eine unregelmäßige Ablagerung auf dem Rührer und durch Unterschiede in der Auswaschbarkeit der faserigen Kristalle, welche Unterschiede weitgehend auf das nicht einheitliche Strömungsbild längs der verschiedenen Rührerteile zurückzuführen sind. Ungewöhnliche lamellenartige Formen, interlamellare Verbindungen, Häutchen zwischen den Lamellen und die vonKeller undMachin festgestellte Verschleierung der Schaschlikgebilde lassen sich sehr gut durch denKeith-, Padden- undVadimsky-Mechanismus einer durch die Kristallisation verursachten Orientierung von Makromolekülen zwischen den Lamellen und durch die anschließende Bildung von extended-chain Kristallen erklären. Wie sich zeigt, gruppiert sich die lamellare Überwachsung um den Kern entsprechend einer logarithmischen Normalverteilung; der mittlere Durchmesser der lamellaren Kristalle nimmt zu mit der mittleren Größe der Zwischenabstände, wobei beide ungefähr gleich groß sind. Die faserigen Kristalle enden in allmählich spitz auslaufenden Gebilden mit Längen von etwa 5 bis 8 . Diese Faserenden stimmen gut überein mit dem für das Wachsen faseriger Kristalle in Strömungsgebieten vorgeschlagenen unroll-Modell, falls im Durchschnitt jedes Molekül eine Kettenfaltung einleitet und die Kettenenden willkürlich in das Kristallgitter aufgenommen werden. Lineares Polyäthylen mit einem Molekulargewicht unter 50×10³ und Hochdruckpolyäthylen kristallisieren nicht in der faserigen Form, während —wie sich zeigt—Copolymere von Äthylen und geringen Propylen- und Butylenmengen in der Lage sind, faserige Kristalle zu bilden und isotaktisches Propylen schöne und überwachsene Fibrillen ergibt.

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With 25 figures in 28 details     

Synthesis and characterization of carboxymethylcelluloses (CMC) from non-wood fibers I.Accessibility of cellulose fibers and CMC synthesis

This paper explores the production of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) fromseveral bleached cellulose pulps obtained from non-wood species. The chemicalcomposition (-cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin content), the degreeofswelling, viscosity, solubility in concentrated NaOH and crystallinity ofsoda/AQ cellulose pulps from abaca, jute, sisal, linen and Miscanthussinensis were determined. The pulps were carboxymethylated by one andtwo successive reaction steps in aqueous medium under identical conditions. Thedegree of substitution (DS) of CMC was found to be dependent upon the source ofthe cellulose pulp, but generally it was close to 1 with one etherificationtreatment and around 2 after the second. The molar mass of CMC was found to bedependent on the initial intrinsic viscosity of the cellulose pulp. The weightaverage molar mass of our CMCs ranged from 1.5×10⁵ to2.8×10⁵. Increasing the DS up to 2 improved the CMC solubility, butviscosity slightly decreased due to a slight degradation of the polymer.     

Phase transitions in cellulose solutions. The kinetics of precipitation of cellulose from diluted cadoxen solutions

Solutions of cellulose (degree of polymerization: 296 ± 16) in tris(ethylenediamine)cadmium(II)hydroxide-ethylenediamine-water (cadoxen), 1.015% (weight per volume) were diluted 1:1.5 with water. The ensuing isothermal precipitations were followed dilatometrically at temperatures ranging from 27.50 to 48.45°C. The precipitation data were characterized by a positive temperature coefficient. They generally conformed to a one-dimensional nucleation rate law; the Avrami exponents were close to unity. Alternatively, they fit a first-order reaction rate expression with respect to cellulose concentration. The low crystallinity of the precipitated cellulose leads to the interpretation of the kinetics in terms of the dissociation of a cellulose-cadoxen complex, rather than phase separation, as the rate-determining step. The nucleation rate law suggests a one-dimensional nonrandom cooperative chemical process, while the first-order rate law suggests a random process.     

Molecular chain conformation and crystallite structure of cellulose. I. Fine structure of rayon fibers

A most reasonable folded-chain model for the fine structure of rayons (cellulose II) has been developed through experimental work on a theoretical basis. All the materials uniformly gave a levelling-off DP of about 40, equivalent to a length around 200 Å, for cellulose molecule segments at the early stage of heterogeneous acid hydrolysis when the first minor fraction is scarcely dissolved. Measurements by small-angle and wide-angle x-ray scattering put the crystallite length from various rayon fibers at about 200 Å, without exception. A family of GPC chromatograms, furthermore, on the hydrolyzed cellulose exhibited a single peak considered to represent monodispersed materials. These data suggest that clearly divided sections exist within the microfibril along its axis in a regular manner at an interval of about 200 Å. This cannot be explained in terms of the fringed micelle model. On the other hand, the possibility that cellulose II may have a folded-chain conformation has been demonstrated. A single cellulose molecule is essentially folded back and forth in the (101) plane to form a sheetlike structure. Such a structure is the basic unit that can fit perfectly into the unit cell of cellulose II. The cellulose molecule can achieve a fairly sharp U-turn in the (101) plane, with only one glucose unit of in the half-boat conformation. A crystallite consists of a number of sheets held together by secondary forces in the (101) plane. Accordingly, crystallographically, the crystallites are closely packed at the surface of each fold at its longitudinal edges to make up the cellulose microfibril. According to our model, the oxygen atom of the glucosidic link in the fold, where acid hydrolysis would have to take place, protrudes partially from the surface of the crystallite; a pair of atoms at the folds are then facing each other and are therefore, accessible for hydrolysis. This would explain chain scission of cellulose II at these sites in hydrolysis. This folded-chain model is supported further by other experimental evidence.     

Light-scattering studies on solutions of cellulose in the ammonia/ammonium thiocyanate solvent system. I. Classical light-scattering

This article reports the use of classical light scattering to study cellulose in the NH3/NH4SCN solvent system. Three solvent compositions were used, 27.01 73.0,25.5/ 74.5, and 24.51 75.5 weight ammonia/weight ammonium thiocyanate. The coefficient, (dn/dc)_υ, was determined by back calculating using the molecular weight determined by solution viscometry in the solvent system cupriethylenediamine and the classical light-scattering results. Second virial coefficients were found to be similar to those values measured for cellulose in the FeTNa and LiCl/DMAC solvent systems. The characteristic ratios were found to vary with solvent composition with the highest values being at a composition of 25.5/74.5 weight ammonia/ weight ammonium thiocyanate. Persistence lengths were also found to vary with solvent composition with the highest value being 264 × 10^?8 cm at solvent composition 25.5/74.5.     

Morphological studies of liquid-crystalline cellulose derivatives. II. Hydroxypropyl cellulose films prepared from liquid-crystalline aqueous solutions

A morphological study of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) was performed on solid films prepared by casting from a liquid-crystalline aqueous solution at rest or under shear. Electron microscopic observations reveal that many round particles composed of stacked disks are densely packed in the interior of a quiescently cast HPC film, while on the film surface formation of fibrous textures is also noted. Shear-deformed HPC films exhibit some interesting morphological features according to the shearing conditions. It is found by electron microscopy that the originally round particles become more and more elongated as shear stress increases. The resulting rodlike fibrillar entities are considerably aligned in the shear direction (SD), but form a banded structure with periodic discontinuities of molecular orientation distribution along the SD. A new mechanism of structural transformation is proposed in order to interpret these results.     

Isolation of cellulose fibers from kenaf using electron beam

Cellulose fibers were isolated from a kenaf bast fiber using a electron beam irradiation (EBI) treatment. The methods of isolation were based on a hot water treatment after EBI and two-step bleaching processes. FT-IR spectroscopy demonstrated that the content of lignin and hemicellulose in the bleached cellulose fibers treated with various EBI doses decreased with increasing doses of EBI. Specifically, the lignin in the bleached cellulose fibers treated at 300 kGy, was almost completely removed. Moreover, XRD analyses showed that the bleached cellulose fibers treated at 300 kGy presented the highest crystallinity of all the samples treated with EBI. Finally, the morphology of the bleached fiber was characterized by SEM imagery, and the studies showed that the separated degree of bleached cellulose fibers treated with various EBI doses increased with an increase of EBI dose, and the bleached cellulose fibers obtained by EBI treatment at 300 kGy was separated more uniformly than the bleached cellulose fiber obtained by alkali cooking with non-irradiated kenaf fiber.     

Energy requirements for the disintegration of cellulose fibers into cellulose nanofibers

Cellulose nanofibers have a bright future ahead as components of nano-engineered materials, as they are an abundant, renewable and sustainable resource with outstanding mechanical properties. However, before considering real-world applications, an efficient and energetically friendly production process needs to be developed that overcomes the extensive energy consumption of shear-based existing processes. This paper analyses how the charge content influences the mechanical energy that is needed to disintegrate a cellulose fiber. The introduction of charge groups (carboxylate) is achieved through periodate oxidation followed by chlorite oxidation reactions, carried out to different extents. Modified samples are then subjected to different levels of controlled mechanical energy and the yields of three different fractions, separated by size, are obtained. The process produces highly functionalized cellulose nanofibers based almost exclusively on chemical reactions, thus avoiding the use of intensive mechanical energy in the process and consequently reducing drastically the energy consumption.     

Extraction of cellulose and preparation of nanocellulose from sisal fibers

In this work a study on the feasibility of extracting cellulose from sisal fiber, by means of two different procedures was carried out. These processes included usual chemical procedures such as acid hydrolysis, chlorination, alkaline extraction, and bleaching. The final products were characterized by means of Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM). The extraction procedures that were used led to purified cellulose. Advantages and disadvantages of both procedures were also analyzed. Finally, nanocellulose was produced by the acid hydrolysis of obtained cellulose and characterized by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM).     

Properties of cellulose acetate in solution. I. Light scattering,osmometry, and viscometry on dilute solutions

Light-scattering, osmotic pressure, and viscometric studies on fractions of cellulose acetate (degree of substitution 2.45) in three solvents are described. The data yield the dependence of the mean-square radius of gyration 〈s²〉, the second virial coefficient Γ₂, and the intrinsic viscosity [η] on molecular weight M and temperature. The results are interpreted to show that excluded volume effects on 〈s²〉 are negligible, even though Γ₂ is large and dΓ₂/dT is positive. The large experimental value of d In [η]/d In M is interpreted in terms of partial draining effects. Data on 〈s₂〉 and [η] for other cellulose esters in the literature are similarly interpreted. Significant aggregation found in solutions of cellulose acetate in many solvents is discussed.     

Formation of cellulose microspheres and nanocrystals from mildly carboxylated fibers

Cellulose - The ultrastructure of mildly carboxylated swollen tracheids from which cellulose microspheres and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) were formed was investigated. A mild etherification of...     

Isotherms of adsorption of aromatic compounds on cellulose from heptane-isopropanol solutions

The isotherms of adsorption of benzene, anisole, benzyl alcohol, and benzaldehyde on the surface of microspherical mesoporous crosslinked cellulose were calculated from the chromatographic peaks of these compounds with consideration given to the longitudinal smearing of the analyte zone under the action of adsorption forces. The solvents were n-heptane-isopropanol mixtures containing various amounts of isopropanol (up to 2 vol %). The adsorption isotherms were described using equations of the displacement adsorption theory. The mechanism of the sorption of aromatic compounds and the physical meaning of the constants entering into the adsorption isotherm equation were discussed.     

Electrochemically induced processes of formation of phosphoric acid derivatives. 3. Electrosynthesis from white phosphorus in alcohol-water solutions

It has been established that the process of splitting of the P-P bonds of the white phosphorus molecules is initiated by cathode-generated nucleophiles (HO^–, RO^–), while functionalization of the P-H bond formed in phosphoric oligomers occurs under the action only of alcohol. The primary product after splitting of all the P-P bonds in phosphoric oligomers is dialkylphosphite (in alcohol-water media), or trialkylphosphite (in absolute alcohol), in the course of electrolysis being transformed into trialkylphosphate. Formation of esters of pyrophosphoric acid with reduced protogenic character of the medium was examined. It is proposed that under these conditions nucleophilic reagents of the type (P)_c-O^– form and participate in splitting of the P-P bonds.A. E. Arbuzov Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry, Kazan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 420083 Kazan. V. I. Ul'yanov-Lenin State University, 420008 Kazan. Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 2033–2038, September, 1992.     

Kinetics of heterogeneous cellulose reactions. I. Cyanoethylation of cotton cellulose

Sakurada's equation and fundamental kinetic laws were applied to the heterogeneous cyanoethylation of cellulose, performed by reacting fiber with liquid acrylonitrile, with sodium hydroxide as the catalyst. The data fit Sakurada's equation better at higher temperatures; deviation occurs at the initial stage, and the rate of reaction falls abruptly at a later stage. The degree of substitution at which the abrupt rate change occurred decreased as the temperature increased from 31 to 60°C. and also as the crystallinity of the fiber decreased. Diluting the reagent with different solvents decreased the rate of reaction and changed its transition points, but did not change the essential nature of the reaction, each segment of which fits Sakurada's equation very well. A uniform distribution of the catalyst (sodium hydroxide) throughout the fiber was attempted, and then the reaction was studied at 50°C. Diffractograms of the samples provided further evidence that the position of the rate change is associated with the change of cellulose (I) crystalline structure. Approximate energy of activation has been calculated, from the specific rate constants, between 31 and 40°C. as 10.6 kcal. and between 45 and 50°C. as 16.7 kcal. At other temperatures the determination was handicapped, due to temperature dependence of the order of reaction. An empirical relation between the constants of Sakurada's equation and the reaction temperature has been sought and correlated with the Arrhenius equation. Energies of activation, determined from this relationship, have been found to be very close to the above values. The change of order of reaction with temperature suggests that the reaction is affected by diffusion and the mechanism is interpreted as a diffusion-controlled reaction where hydrogen bonds play a significant role in diffusion.