Alternative Feedstock for Producing Nitrocellulose
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Fibre Chemistry, Vol. 52, No. 3, September, 2020 (Russian Original No. 3, May-June, 2020)
ALTERNATIVE FEEDSTOCK FOR PRODUCING NITROCELLULOSE V. A. Lipin, I. I. Petrova, and E. D. Sofronova
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Tendencies toward growth in the demand for nitrocellulose in most developed countries and an expansion of applications owing to the creation of safe production technologies are observed. Nitration of cellulose from deciduous tree species, i.e., a 60:40% mixture of birch and aspen, is investigated. The structure of the nitration product is determined using IR and Raman spectroscopy. Cellulose nitrate characterized by a nitrogen mass fraction >10% is obtained for the optimal nitration parameters.
Nitrocellulose is a polymer from plant feedstock that is used in many areas of human activity. Nitrocellulose varnishes, paints, enamels, and primers are traditionally used as coatings in the automobile industry. Nitrocellulose is widely used in wood, leather, cosmetics, and other industrial sectors. Medicine is an important area of nitrocellulose applications where it is used as nitrocellulose membranes and papers for immunochromatographic analysis [1]. Modern safe technologies that can be used to produce high-quality nitrocellulose allow the spectrum of its use to be considerably expanded and actively applied to various areas. The global trend toward increased demand is responsible for the stable development of the nitrocellulose market. Demand from highly developed countries such as Germany and North America (Figs. 1 and 2) and developing economies such as China, Thailand, and India is the main driver for growth in production of this product. About 45% of the global use of nitrocellulose comes from the Asia-Pacific region (Fig. 3) [2]. Figure 4 shows the growth of the nitrocellulose market in dollars. The main traditional sources of feedstock for manufacturing nitrocellulose are cotton and conifer wood. Cellulose obtained from cotton has the longest fiber, which enables high yields of final product to be obtained [1]. Cellulose from conifer wood has shorter fibers than cotton. However, it is also used as starting feedstock for producing nitrocellulose [3]. The potential for using cotton and conifer wood is limited for several reasons [1]. Therefore, alternative natural sources of cellulose that, on one hand, could have unlimited availability and, on the other, should be readily renewable must be utilized. Such sources for cellulose production could be annual plants, e.g., grasses, flax, etc. [4, 5]. However, the yields of final product from them are low. Deciduous trees could also be important potential feedstock sources. The advantages of deciduous trees are their availability and habitats in various climate zones, among others. Their rapid renewability, e.g., on plantations, should also be mentioned. They are widely and successfully used abroad and are some of the most promising sources of alternative feedstock for nitrocellulose production [6]. The use of deciduous tree species as feedstock for nitroce
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