Evaluation of the dissolving ability of cellulosic pulps: investigation of a novel method using light scattering follow-up during classical cellulose carbanilation

Abstract

Abstract The aim of the present study is to investigate the dissolving ability of a cellulosic substrate using a derivatization method, i.e. cellulose tricarbanilation and the follow-up by dynamic light scattering (DLS), for particle size measurement. The dissolving behavior of six commercial pulps, selected for their different nature and properties, were compared to the Fock test, and the analysis was completed by other methods for substrate characterization: crystallinity (XRD), DPv (in CuED), sugar analysis, molecular weight distribution (MWD) of cellulose by HPSEC-multidetectors (done on the cellulose tricarbanilates), and solubility in NaOH:urea:water. The proposed carbanilation/DLS method resulted practical and suitable for evaluating the dissolving ability of the different pulps – including hemicelluloses-containing kraft pulps – and allowed to discriminate the samples, contrary to the Fock test. Comparison and assessment of the relevance of the different methods are finally discussed.