Cellulose degradation in alkaline media upon acidic pretreatment and stabilisation.

The present study reports on a revised kinetic model for alkaline degradation of cellulose accounting for primary peeling/stopping reactions as well as for alkaline hydrolysis followed by secondary peeling. Oxalic acid pretreated cotton linters was utilised as the model substrate for the prehydrolysis-soda anthraquinone process. The main emphasis was investigating the effect of end-group stabilising additives such as sodium borohydride (BH), anthraquinone (AQ), and anthraquinone-2-sulphonic acid sodium salt (AQS) on the rates of the yield loss reactions. BH and AQS ensured a cellulose yield gain of 13% and 11%, respectively, compared to the reference. Both stabilisation agents decreased the content of the reducing end groups in the samples, while in the case of AQS stabilisation a 25% increase in carboxyl group content compared to the reference was also observed. As expected, the addition of end group stabilisers resulted in a significant decrease in the peeling-to-stopping rate constants ratio.

Potential of hot water extraction of birch wood to produce high-purity dissolving pulp after alkaline pulping.

The potential of hot water extraction of birch wood to produce highly purified dissolving pulp in a subsequent soda-anthraquinone pulping process was evaluated. After intermediate extraction intensities, pulps with low xylan content (3-5%) and high cellulose yield were successfully produced. Increasing extraction intensity further decreased the xylan content in pulp. However, below a xylan content of 3%, the cellulose yield dramatically decreased. This is believed to be due to cleavage of glycosidic bonds in cellulose during severe hot water extractions, followed by peeling reactions during alkaline pulping. Addition of sodium borohydride as well as increased anthraquinone concentration in the pulping liquor increased the cellulose yield, but had no clear effects on pulp purity and viscosity. The low intrinsic viscosity of pulps produced after severe extraction intensities and soda-anthraquinone pulping corresponded to the viscosity at the leveling-off degree of polymerization, suggesting that nearly all amorphous cellulose had been degraded.