Cellulose is the most abundant natural polymer on earth. It has attracted a number of attentions, due to its renewability, biocompatibility and biodegradability. One of the key points of the development of cellulose industry is to find simple solvent. This article studied NaOH/urea and LiOH/urea aqueous solution in the aspect of their ability to dissolve cellulose. NMR, DLS and DSC methods were used to illustrate the mechanism of their differences. The results showed that Li<sup>+</sup> iterated more significantly with urea than Na<sup>+</sup>. LiOH/urea aqueous solution had more power of solubility for cellulose, which could destroy its hydrogen bonding more completely. The dissolution was an enthalpy-driven process for both two solvents, however, it could be finished at a higher temperature in LiOH/urea aqueous solution than NaOH/urea solution. Based on the higher dissolving power of LiOH/urea aqueous solution, the Mark-Houwink equation of cellulose was established.

Influence of cation on the dissolution of cellulose in alkaline/urea system at low temperature and its mechanism

251st National Meeting (2016)

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