The cellulosan of jute fibre.

Abstract

IT has been shown1 that a good-quality jute fibre contains about 28 per cent of hemicelluloses (that is, cellulosan and polyuronide hemicellulose of Norman2), of which, from furfural and carbon dioxide yield, 11.6 per cent was calculated to be xylan, 4.5 per cent polyuronides and the rest (by difference) hexosans. A 9.3 per cent caustic soda extract of the holocellulose (obtained from defatted jute with sodium chlorite3) at room temperature gives, on acidification and addition of an equal volume of alcohol, a white, amorphous powder. This represents more than half the original hemicelluloses of the fibre, and consists of one molecule of mono-methoxyuronic acid linked with six anhydro-xylose units. On hydrolysis with dilute (up to 5 per cent) sulphuric acid, an aldobionic acid results, which, under more drastic conditions, splits up into xylose and methoxyuroriic acid. The other portion, which remains dissolved in the 50 per cent alcohol, gives little furfural and practically no carbon dioxide, indicating thereby the absence of pentosans as well as polyuronides. Only galactose has so far been detected in it by hydrolysis and paper chromatography, and also by oxidation to mucic acid.