Studies on the acid degradation of cellulosic fibers II : changes of low-alpha bagasse pulp characteristics

Abstract EN

Hydrolysis of low-alpha bagasse pulp, with 6/VHCl at 30 and 50°C showed that a higher temperature accelerated hydrolysis of both the low and high molecular-weight factions of the pulp and increased the loss in material.

The value of leveling off degree of polymerization, LODP, was not affected by temperature.

However, it was attained after 1.5 hours at 30°C and after 6 hours, at 50°C.

Thus, before the LODP, recrystallization was more pronounced at the lower temperature.

However, the value of crystallinity was lower at the lower temperature because of the milder hydrolysis at the lower temperature, which resulted in higher hemicellulose content, particularly of those which resist hydrolysis under such milder conditions.

At both temperatures the affinity towards alkali increased at first and then decreased after the LODP.

In most cases, the higher temperature resulted in better reactivity and filterability.

At the LODP period both the reactivity and filterability remained constant.