Improving Accessibility and Reactivity of Celluloses of Annual Plants for the Synthesis of Methylcellulose

Pretreatments (water-soaking, pre-mercerization, mercerization under a pressure of 15 bars and steam explosion) were used to improve the accessibilities and reactivities of celluloses of bleached flax, hemp, sisal, abaca and jute pulps for the synthesis of methylcellulose. Degrees of crystallinity were determined by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) spectra. The iodine adsorption accessibilities of pulps were low and accessible fractions ranged from 1.3 to 5.2%. Accessible fractions in amorphous cellulose were calculated in the 5–18% range. The accessibilities of these pulps were hemp pulp > flax pulp > sisal pulp > jute pulp > abaca pulp. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra showed that mean hydrogen bond strengths were weakened and relative crystallinity indexes were decreased by pretreatments. The accessibility and reactivity of the abaca pulp were improved by water soaking, mercerization under 15 bars pressure, steam explosion and preliminary mercerization, of which steam explosion and pre-mercerization were the best treatments. Species was the main factor for the accessibility and reactivity.