Title
Cationization of native and alkalized cellulose: Mechanism and kinetics
Authors
ANA MORAL ROBERTO AGUADO and ANTONIO TIJERO

Received November 7, 2014
Published Volume 50 Issue 1 January
Keywords mechanisms, kinetics, cellulose, mercerization, cationization,X-ray spectroscopy

Abstract
The insertion of functional groups (particularly cationic groups) in starch and cellulose is especially useful with a view to developing new industrial polysaccharide derivatives. The aim of this work was to develop a standard protocol for the mercerization–cationization of cellulose fibres based on the kinetic equations governing the process.The cationization of NaOH-pretreated cellulose with an alkaline solution of 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride (CHPTAC) was found to be a pseudo second-order reaction. Under the experimental conditions used, the equilibrium condition for nitrogen as a quaternary ammonium ion in cellulose was dependent on the initial amorphous fraction of cellulose, as determined by X-ray spectroscopy. Also, the kinetic constant increased with an increasing amorphous fraction. However, the nitrogen content or degree of substitution in the carbohydrate reached near equalibrium values after relatively short reaction times.