High-Performing Functionalized Cellulose Materials via High Consistency Processing

Modification and derivatization of cellulose is typically either surface or diffusion limited, many cases both. Consequently, chemists tend to perform their esterification and esterification reactions in homogeneous systems, which means utilization of waist volumes of solvents, necessary to be recycled. Unlike biotechnologists apply enzymes for cellulose hydrolysis and oxidation, which are slow surface dependent reactions due size of the enzyme proteins.

In order to intensify these and other reactions, it has become essential to overcome either diffusion limitation or formation of new reactive surfaces. Even if these are considerably different approaches, they are possible be solve markedly similarly by means of high consistency processing under intensive mixing.

Kneading and compounding technologies enable handing of high viscous fluids with high dissipative or dispersive mixing providing benefit in compact equipment, low mass inventory in process and high flexibility. Further, certain configurations with positive displacement enable continuous operation mode. The technologies are typically for other polymers, dominantly synthetic plastics and rubbers, but they are universal also for natural polymers including celluloses.

Scientifically the phenomena is reduction of reactant diffusion limitations and therefore improved reaction rates and stoichiometry efficiency. Intensive mixing enables continuous renew of reactive surfaces and prevent forming of diffusion restricted films. In this paper, we provide some examples cellulose modification in high consistency environments enabling lucrative reductions in both processing time times and reactant consumptions.