Cellulose Plastics

By Lakhan Singh
 INTRODUCTION

Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula

(C6H10 O5)n , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear
chain of several hundred to over ten thousand β(1→4)
linked D-glucose units.

Cellulose is the structural component of the primary

cell wall of green plants, many forms of algae and the
oomycetes. Some species of bacteria secrete it to form
biofilms. Cellulose is the most common organic
compound on Earth. About 33 percent of all plant
matter is cellulose (the cellulose content of cotton is 90
percent and that of wood is 50 percent).
• For industrial use, cellulose is mainly obtained from
wood pulp and cotton. It is mainly used to
produce cardboard and paper; to a smaller extent
it is converted into a wide variety of derivative
products such as cellophane and rayon.
Converting cellulose from energy crops into
biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol is under
investigation as an alternative fuel source.
• Some animals, particularly ruminants and termites,
can digest cellulose with the help of symbiotic
micro-organisms that live in their guts. Humans
cannot digest cellulose; it is often referred to as
'dietary fiber' or 'roughage' (e.g. outer shell of
Maize) and acts as a hydrophilic bulking agent
for feces
•
 NOMENCLATURE OF CELLULOSE

• cellulose was discovered in 1838 by the French

chemist Anselme Payen, who isolated it from plant
matter and determined its chemical formula.
Cellulose was used to produce the first successful
thermoplastic polymer, celluloid, by Hyatt
Manufacturing Company in 1870. Hermann
Staudinger determined the polymer structure of
cellulose in 1920. The compound was first
chemically synthesized (without the use of any
biologically-derived enzymes) in 1992, by
Kobayashi and Shoda
•
Cellulose has no taste, is odourless, is hydrophilic, is insoluble
in water and most organic solvents, is choral and is
biodegradable. It can be broken down chemically into its
glucose units by treating it with concentrated acids at high
temperature.
 SOURCE OF RAW MATERIAL

• Cellulose is the major constituent of paper

and cardboard and of textiles made from
cotton, linen, and other plant fibers.
Cellulose can be converted into
cellophane, a thin transparent film, and
into rayon, an important fiber that has
been used for textiles since the beginning
of the 20th century. Both cellophane and
rayon are known as "regenerated cellulose
fibers"; they are identical to cellulose in
chemical structure and are usually made
from viscose, a viscous solution made from
cellulose. A more recent and
• Cellulose is derived from D-glucose units, which condense
through β(1→4)-glycosidic bonds. This linkage motif
contrasts with that for α(1→4)-glycosidic bonds present in
starch, glycogen, and other carbohydrates. Cellulose is a
straight chain polymer: unlike starch, no coiling or
branching occurs, and the molecule adopts an extended
and rather stiff rod-like conformation, aided by the
equatorial conformation of the glucose residues. The
multiple hydroxyl groups on the glucose residues from one
chain form hydrogen bonds with oxygen molecules on the
same or on a neighbor chain, holding the chains firmly
together side-by-side and forming micro fibrils with high
tensile strength. This strength is important in cell walls,
where the micro fibrils are meshed into a carbohydrate
matrix, conferring rigidity to plant cells.
•
• Compared to starch, cellulose is also much more crystalline.
Whereas starch undergoes a crystalline to amorphous
transition when heated beyond 60-70 °C in water (as in
cooking), cellulose requires a temperature of 320 °C and
pressure of 25 MPa to become amorphous in water.
• Many properties of cellulose depend on its chain length or
degree of polymerization, the number of glucose units
that make up one polymer molecule. Cellulose from wood
pulp has typical chain lengths between 300 and 1700
units; cotton and other plant fibers as well as bacterial
celluloses have chain lengths ranging from 800 to 10,000
units. Molecules with very small chain length resulting
from the breakdown of cellulose are known as
cellodextrins; in contrast to long-chain cellulose,
cellodextrins are typically soluble in water and organic
solvents.
•
 RAY DIAGRAM OF CELLULOSE

-Cellulose is the raw material in the manufacture of

nitrocellulose (cellulose nitrate) which was historically used in
smokeless gunpowder & as the base material for celluloid
used for photographic and movie films until the mid 1930s.
.
 TYPES OF CELLULOSE

 Four major types of loose-fill cellulose products

have been developed under a variety of brand
names. These are generally characterized as dry
cellulose, spray applied cellulose, stabilized
cellulose and low dust cellulose. These types are
used in different parts of a building and for
different reasons.
• Dry Cellulose (Loose Fill)
• Dry cellulose is used in retrofitting old homes by blowing the
cellulose into holes drilled into the tops of the walls. It can
also be blown into a new wall construction by using
temporary retainers or netting that is clamped in place then
removed once the cellulose has reached the appropriate
density. This form of application does settle as much as 20%
but the stated R-value of the cellulose is accurate after
settling occurs. In addition, a dense-pack option can be used
to reduce settling and further minimize air gaps. Dense-pack
places pressure on the cavity, and should be done by an
experienced installer.

• Spray Applied Cellulose (Wet-Spray)
• Spray applied cellulose is used for applying cellulose to new wall
construction. The only difference is the addition of water to the
cellulose while spraying. In some cases the insulation might also
mix in a very small percentage of adhesive or activate a dry
adhesive present in the cellulose. Wet-spray allows application
without the need for a temporary retainer. In addition, wet-spray
allows for an even better seal of the insulated cavity against air
infiltration and eliminates settling problems. Wet-spray installation
requires that the wall be allowed to dry for a minimum of 24 hours
(or until maximum of 25% moisture is reached) before being
covered.
• Stabilized Cellulose
• Stabilized cellulose is used most often in attic/roof insulation. It is
applied with a very small amount of water to activate an adhesive
of some kind. This reduces settling and decreases the amount of
cellulose needed. This can prove advantageous at reducing the
overall weight of the product on the ceiling drywall helping prevent
possible sag. This application is ideal for sloped roofs and has been
approved for 5:12 (41.66%) slopes.
•
• Low-Dust Cellulose
• The last major type of cellulose insulation on the
market is low dust variety. Nuisance levels of dust
are created during application of most types of dry
insulation causing the need for simple dust masks
to be worn during installation. This kind of
cellulose has a small percentage of oil or similar
dust dampener added. This may also be appropriate
to homes where people are sensitive to newsprint
or paper dust (though new dust will not be created
after installation).
•
 APPLICATION OF
CELLULOSE
• Cellulose is used to make water-soluble adhesives and
binders such as methyl cellulose and carboxymethyl
cellulose which are used in wallpaper paste.
Microcrystalline cellulose (E460i) and powdered
cellulose (E460ii) are used as inactive fillers in
tablets and as thickeners and stabilizers in processed
foods.
• Cellulose is used in the laboratory as the stationary
phase for thin layer chromatography. Cellulose fibers
are also used in liquid filtration, sometimes in
combination with diatomaceous earth or other
filtration media, to create a filter bed of inert
material. Cellulose is further used to make
hydrophilic and highly absorbent sponges.
• For industrial use, cellulose is mainly obtained
from wood pulp and cotton. It is mainly used to
produce cardboard and paper; to a smaller
extent it is converted into a wide variety of
derivative products such as cellophane and
rayon. Converting cellulose from energy crops
into biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol is under
investigation as an alternative fuel source.
• Cellulose is soluble in cupriethylenediamine
(CED), cadmiumethylenediamine (Cadoxen), N-
methylmorpholine N-oxide and lithium
chloride / dimethylformamide. This is used in
the production of regenerated celluloses (as
viscose and cellophane) from dissolving pulp.
•
 MANUFACTURE OF CELLULOSE
• Products of chemical processing
• Cellulose is produced from chemical pulp after complete
removal of the other constituents (lignin,
hemicelluloses, and extractives). It is used in the
production of synthetic fibers (e.g., rayon), cellophane,
plastics, varnishes, lacquers, inks, adhesives,
photographic films, magnetic tapes, artificial sponges,
explosives, and many other products. The uses for
lignin continue to grow, although great quantities are
wasted or burned as fuel because its molecular
structure and chemistry are not completely known.
Lignin is used in making vanillin (synthetic vanilla),
pharmaceuticals, plastics, solvents, ceramics,
adhesives, synthetic rubber, foam materials,
insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, soil conditioners,
and other products.
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