Synthesis of cellulose carbamate by supercritical CO2-assisted impregnation: Structure and rheological properties

Cellulose carbamate, an environmentally friendly material presents an interesting alternative to petroleum-based polymers because of its renewable, biodegradable, biocompatible nature and its solubility in conventional solvents. In synthesis process of cellulose carbamate, urea was firstly impregnated into the cellulose pulp by supercritical CO₂(scCO₂), followed by the esterification of cellulose. The structure of cellulose carbamate was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The rheological properties of these cellulose carbamates in 9% sodium hydroxide solution were investigated, using a range of the nitrogen content, concentrations and shear rates.