New polyurethane foams modified with cellulose derivatives

New polyurethane foams were elaborated with different cellulose derivatives as raw material, by the one-shot process. The foams were submitted to soxhlet extraction in order to quantify the amount of cellulose derivative incorporated in the foam by chemical bonding. The foams were characterized by means of FTIR, solid state ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The FTIR- and solid state ¹³C NMR showed characteristic peaks for cellulose derivatives and polyurethane. DMA measurements indicated that storage modulus increased with increasing content of cellulose derivatives. The highest value was obtained for foams prepared with cellulose sulphate.     

Differentialthermoanalyse von Polyäthylen

Polyethylene (PE) samples pretreated in different ways were investigated by means of normal and isothermal DTA. Changes caused by the pretreatment were manifested as follows: In contrast to non-treated PE, the normal DTA curves taken under the influence of oxygen exhibited an isolated oxidation peak between 200 and 300°, the peak area decreasing with the increasing effect of the pretreatment on the structure of the PE. In isothermal DTA the induction times and activation energies of oxidative thermal degradation were reduced. The peak area of the oxidation peak can also be used to characterize mixtures of high and low-density PE; the amount of high-density PE is obtained quantitatively from the melting peak area measured from the peak tip up to the peak end.     

Comparison of Benzyl Celluloses Synthesized in Aqueous NaOH and Dimethyl Sulfoxide/Tetrabutylammonium Fluoride

Cellulose was benzylated starting from the dissolved polymer in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)/tetrabutylammonium fluoride trihydrate (TBAF) and heterogeneously in aqueous NaOH as reaction media. Differences in the distribution of benzyl moieties within the anhydroglucose unit in dependence on the synthesis pathway couldn't be found. However, as revealed by means of ¹H-NMR spectroscopy, significant differences in the distribution of substituents along the cellulose chains occurred. Conventionally synthesized samples (in aqueous NaOH), even in the presence of a phase transfer catalyst, possess a block-wise distribution of substituents, while a dissolution of cellulose in DMSO/TBAF prior to the reaction gives products that are uniformly substituted along the cellulose chains.     

Study on Synthesis and NMR Characterization of 2,3-O-Hydroxyethyl Cellulose Depending on Synthesis Conditions

The synthesis of hydroxyethyl celluloses with regioselective functionalization in position 2 and 3 starting from triphenylmethyl (trityl) cellulose is described. The effects of reaction conditions upon both the degree of substitution and the distribution of the hydroxyethyl moieties were investigated in detail. The interest was not only focused on regioselective functionalization within the anhydroglucose unit but also on the formation of oxyethylene side chains. To avoid the formation of oxyethylene side chains, 2-(2-bromoethoxy)tetrahydropyran was used as etherifying agent in comparison with 2-bromoethanol. By acidic hydrolysis, both protecting groups – trityl at 6 position and tetrahydropyran at the hydroxyethyl substituent – can be simultaneously cleaved off. The hydroxyethyl celluloses were characterized by one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy in order to determine the substitution pattern.     

Mesophases in a Gel from Hydroxypropyl Cellulose/Polyacrylamide

The objective of the present work is to analyze the different mesophases observed in a gel synthesized from hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) and polyacrylamide (PAAm) and its phase behavior in water. Hydroxypropyl cellulose is a material derived from cellulose it is non toxic and degradable. HPC is widely used in pharmaceutics, food additives, stabilizer, thickener, etc., HPC is approved by the FDA for use in the food industry. HPC has the characteristic that it forms liquid crystals, depending on the solvent and on the concentration of the polymer. In this work a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) were observed, the resulting gel showed anisotropic, nematic and cholesteric phases in water, the phase formed depended on the concentration of the polymer.     

Homogenous Carboxymethylation of Cellulose in the New Alkaline Solvent LiOH/Urea Aqueous Solution

In this work, the carboxymethylation of cellulose in a new alkaline cellulose solvent, LiOH/urea aqueous solution, was investigated. Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) samples were characterized with FT-IR, NMR, HPLC, and viscosity measurements. Water-soluble CMC with DS = 0.36∼0.65 was prepared, from both Avicel cellulose and cotton linters in the LiOH/urea system. The total DS of CMC could be controlled by varying the molar ratio of reagents and the reaction temperature. The results from structure analysis by HPLC after complete depolymerization showed that the mole fractions of the different carboxymethylated repeating units as well as those of unmodified glucose follow a simple statistic pattern. A distribution of the carboxymethyl groups of the AGU was determined to be in the order O-6 > O-2 > O-3 position at the level.