The Effect of Mechanical Treatment on Colloidal and Chemical Properties and Reactivity of Powdered Cellulose

Abstract

The effect of mechanical activation on colloidal and chemical properties of aqueous dispersions of powdered cellulose (particle size, electrokinetic parameters, surface electrical properties, adsorption, etc.) and its solubility in a methylmorpholine N-oxide monohydrate–dimethyl sulfoxide mixture is studied. A rise in the number of mechanical treatment cycles increases the surface charge density, adsorbability, and solubility of cellulose, but decreases particle size and electrophoretic mobility, as well as the viscosity of cellulose solutions due to a reduction in the degree of cellulose polymerization, development of microporosity, and a rise in the internal surface area of polymer particles as a result of their disintegration.