Kinetics of the carboxymethylation of cellulose in the isopropyl alcohol system

Abstract

Abstract The carboxymethylation of original and activated cellulose in the system cellulose/NaOH/isopropyl alcohol/CH 2 ClCOOH has been investigated by means of conductometry, viscosimetry and X‐ray diffractometry. It has been found that the carboxymethylation process in this system is a pseudo‐first‐order reaction with two stages having different first‐order rate constants. By application of the activation method the rate of etherification and the utilization ratio of the etherifying agent were increased and the quality of the product was improved.