Gas transport phenomena in hydroxypropyl cellulose solid film retaining cholesteric liquid crystalline order

Two kinds of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) films were prepared: one retained cholesteric liquid crystalline order (HPC-A), and another was amorphous (HPC-B). Gas transport phenomena in the HPC-A films were determined at 20°C, which is below the T_g of HPC, compared with those in the HPC-B films, by using mainly oxygen and nitrogen gases; herium and carbon dioxide gases were also used. The permeability coefficient P for the HPC-A films was smaller than that for the HPC-B films by approximately 10 times. The gas permselectivity, defined as the ratio of P for each gas, was affected by the liquid crystalline order, as follows: The permselectivity for the HPC-A films was greater than that of the HPC-B films. The trends of gas permeability and permselectivity for the liquid crystal-forming HPC films were the same as those reported for other liquid crystal-forming cellulosic films. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 70: 1465–1470, 1998     

Diffusion of glucose derivatives in aqueous solutions of hydroxypropyl cellulose

The diffusion behaviour of glucose and three of its derivatives in aqueous solutions of hydroxypropyl cellulose was studied as a function of polymer concentration. A shearing type diffusion cell was used together with a schlieren optical system. The presence of polymer did not affect the diffusion of glucose. The derivatives, however, exhibited a linear decrease in diffusion coefficient with increasing polymer concentration. The results were discussed in terms of solvation and obstruction.     

Dielectric investigation of isotropic and anisotropic solutions of hydroxypropyl cellulose in dioxan

The dielectric behaviour of hydroxypropyl cellulose in dioxan has been studied at 10–50°C over a range of concentration of 10–55 wt% to include the isotropic and anisotropic phases. The study showed that the loss maximum ε″_max magnitude of polarization ε₀ ? ε_∞ relaxation time 1/2πf_m degree of broadening of the absorption curves 1–h or α, and the mean-square dipole moment 〈gμ²〉, steadily increase with concentration up to 42 wt%, above which a rapid decrease takes place. This indicates that the isotropic solution transforms to an anisotropic solution with a smaller mean dipole moment. The critical concentration is realized to be temperature invariant. This was evidenced by measuring the refractive index of solutions covering the same concentration and temperature ranges.     

Gel formation and liquid crystalline order in cellulose triacetate solutions

The formation of a liquid crystalline state of cellulose triacetate solution in trifluoroacetic acid was studied using optical microscopy, polarimetry and circular dichroism measurements. Below a critical concentration of $\text{34}\text{g}\text{100}\text{ml}$ a clear isotropic solution was formed. Solutions more concentrated than this were in the cholesteric liquid crystalline state. If water was added to the solution, a gel phase was formed if the polymer concentration was above a critical value. We interpret our observations in terms of the Pincus-de Gennes theory and show that the formation of liquid crystalline order involves both inter-and intramolecular forces.     

Swelling behavior of crosslinked hydroxypropyl cellulose films retaining cholesteric liquid crystalline order. I. Effect of temperature

Temperature dependence of the swelling behavior in both water and propanol was determined for the crosslinked hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) films retaining cholesteric liquid crystalline order (CLCO) and for the crosslinked amorphous HPC films. The dependence of swelling behavior in water for the films retaining CLCO was different from that of the amorphous films. With increasing temperature, the equilibrium swelling ratio (B_e) for the films retaining CLCO decreased, whereas B_e for the amorphous films increased. In propanol, both films exhibited the same temperature dependence. B_e increased with increasing temperature. The increasing rate of the swelling in transient state showed similar temperature dependence on B_e. The increasing rate for the films retaining CLCO decreased with temperature, but that for the amorphous films increased in water; in propanol, the increasing rate for two types of films increased. The difference in the swelling behavior between the two types of films may be due to the difference in the number-average molecular weight between crosslinks. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 73: 1015–1022, 1999     

Miscibility studies of hydroxypropyl cellulose/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) in dilute solutions and solid state

The miscibility of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) blends in aqueous solutions was studied using viscosity, ultrasonic velocity, and refractive index techniques at 30°C. The interaction parameters ΔB, μ, and α calculated from viscosity using Sun and Chee methods indicated the miscibility of this blend. This was further confirmed by ultrasonic and refractive index results. The HPC/PVP blend films are prepared by solution casting method and are analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopic techniques that confirmed the complete miscibility. This miscibility is due to the strong intermolecular H-bonding interactions between  OH groups of HPC and CO groups of PVP. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Rheology of 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride cellulose solutions. II. Solution character and preparation

The focus of this article of a three part series is the effects of preparation and composition on the shear rheology of cellulose in the ionic liquid 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim]Cl). Included are the effects of three different degrees of polymerization, (i.e., average molecular weight), manual versus high shear mixing, a range of cellulose concentrations, and the effects of controlled amounts of lignin and a hemicellulose. The rheology implies that a gel phase develops at higher degrees of polymerization, higher concentration, and at lower temperatures. The first article focused primarily on shear rheology of cellulose in [Bmim]Cl with a high shear preparation technique, one degree of polymerization, a narrow range of cellulose concentrations, and temperature. The third article focuses on elongational rheology of cellulose in [Bmim]Cl. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

The cholesteric nature of cellulose triacetate solutions

Solutions of cellulose triacetate (CTA) in trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) become liquid crystalline above a certain critical concentration. Using the techniques of spectrophotometry, wide-angle light scattering and circular dichroism we have shown that the mesophase formed is cholesteric. We have measured its pitch, which depends on polymer concentration, and shown that the cholesteric structure is right-handed. Measurements of optical activity and the optical effects of shear and magnetic fields are also described and discussed.     

Synthesis and phase behavior of cholesteric liquid crystal polymers containing glutamic acid in main‐chain

Four polymers (P₀–P₃) containing peptide chain as polymer backbone were synthesized by condensation reaction with bis(trichloromethyl)carbonate and triethylamine. The chemical structures of the monomers M₀–M₃ were confirmed by FTIR and ¹H‐NMR. The structure–property relationships of the monomers and polymers are discussed. Their phase behavior and optical properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and polarizing optical microscopy. Monomers M₁–M₃ and polymers P₁–P₃ displayed cholesteric phases. The results demonstrated that the melt temperature and clear point of monomers (M₁–M₃) and polymers (P₁–P₃) decreased with the increase of the flexible spacer length in the side‐chain, and the mesophase temperature range of the polymers increased with the increase of the flexible spacer length. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007     

Cellulose derivative‐based cholesteric networks

Ethyl‐cyanoethyl cellulose [(E‐CE)C]/acrylic acid (AA) solution could form cholesteric networks when the AA was quickly photopolymerized. The cholesteric structure in the solution was changed during the polymerization but the variation of the cholesteric order could be depressed by crosslinking of the system. The dependence of λ_max for the cholesteric phase on both the crosslinker concentration and the polymerization temperature was studied by UV‐Vis spectrometry. It was found that the cholesteric pitch variation is decreased with increasing the concentration of the crosslinking reagent and the water sensitivity of the cholesteric network is effectively suppressed and dependent on the types of crosslinker. The pitch of cholesteric network was decreased sharply with increasing the polymerization temperature, due to the increase of the volume shrinkage of the solvent during the polymerization. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 1648–1653, 2005     

Optical properties of (acetoxypropyl)cellulose mesophases: factors influencing the cholesteric pitch

(Acetoxypropyl)cellulose (APC) forms a thermotropic cholesteric liquid crystalline phase, and with dibutyl phthalate (DBP) it also forms a lyotropic cholesteric phase. The reflection bands for the mesophases occur in the visible region, at wavelengths which depend on concentration and temperatures. The pitch of the cholesteric helicoidal structure is derived from measurements of the mean refractive indices and of the reflection band wavelengths for mesophase samples containing from 0 to 30% diluent at temperatures from ambient to 170°C. The pitch of the thermotropic mesophase increases with increasing temperature and with decreasing molar mass. The pitch of the lyotropic mesophase increases with increasing temperature and diluent content. Pitch values approach infinity at temperatures close to the clearing temperature of the mesophase, and no reversal in the sense of the pitch with temperature or diluent content was detected. The experimentally observed changes in pitch with composition and temperature are in reasonable agreement with the predictions of a recent theory for cholesteric mesophases composed of helical rod-like species. The average distance between chains in the mesophase is estimated from X-ray diffraction measurements, and hence the average angle of twist between neighbouring APC molecules may be found. The angle decreased from 2.2° for pure APC to 0.9° for a volume fraction of 0.73 APC in DBP.     

Alignment behaviour of liquid crystals on ethyl cellulose films with banded‐texture structure

Films were formed by casting and shearing ethyl cellulose in chloroform at high coating speed and thin coating thickness. The films were used as alignment layers for liquid crystals. Atomic force microscopy and polarizing optical microscopy (POM) were used to identify the banded‐texture structure of the films. The alignments of nematic liquid crystal 4‐cyano‐4′‐n‐pentylbiphenyl (5CB) droplets on the films were observed by POM. Furthermore, the time‐dependent alignment behaviour of 5CB on the films was recorded and studied. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and lyotropic behavior of mesogen‐linked cellulose acetates

Three aromatic (p‐carboxyl phenyl) esters, 4‐(benzoyloxy) benzoic acid, 4‐(4′‐methylbenzoyloxy) benzoic acid, and 4‐(4′‐chlorobenzoyloxy) benzoic acid, were synthesized and they showed nematic monotropic or thermotropic behavior. The mesogen‐linked cellulose acetates were first prepared by the reaction of aromatic (p‐carboxyl phenyl) esters with cellulose acetate through esterification in the presence of N,N‐dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) and 4‐dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP). Their degrees of mesogenic unit substitution (DS_‐meso) were between 0.27 and 0.41. It was found that they can form cholesteric lyotropic phases in dichloroacetic acid and their critical concentration was about 25 wt %. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 2693–2697, 2004     

Rheological characterization of concentrated cellulose solutions in 1‐allyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride

The rheological properties of high concentrated wood pulp cellulose 1‐allyl‐3‐methy‐limidazolium Chloride ([Amim]Cl) solutions were investigated by using steady shear and dynamic viscoelastic measurement in a large range of concentrations (10–25 wt %). The measurement reveals that cellulose may slightly degrade at 110°C in [Amim]Cl and the Cox–Merz rule is valid for 10 wt % cellulose solution. All of the cellulose solutions showed a shear thinning behavior over the shear rate at temperature from 80 to 120°C. The zero shear viscosity (η_o) was obtained by using the simplified Cross model to fit experimental data. The η_o values were used for detailed viscosity‐concentration and activation energy analysis. The exponent in the viscosity‐concentration power law was found to be 3.63 at 80°C, which is comparable with cellulose dissolved in other solvents, and to be 5.14 at 120°C. The activation energy of the cellulose solution dropped from 70.41 to 30.54 kJ/mol with an increase of concentration from 10 to 25 wt %. The effects of temperature and concentration on the storage modulus (G′), the loss modulus (G″) and the first normal stress difference (N₁) were also analyzed in this study. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

高浓度纤维素的离子液体溶液中均相乙酰化反应(英文)

At relatively high cellulose mass concentrations (8%, 10%, and 12%), homogeneous acetylation of cellulose was carried out in an ionic liquid, 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (AmimCl). Without using any catalyst, cellulose acetates (CAs) with the degree of substitution (DS) in a range from 0.4 to 3.0 were synthesized in one-step. The effects of reaction time, temperature and molar ratio of acetic anhydride/anhydroglucose unit (AGU) in cellulose on DS value of CAs were investigated. The synthesized CAs were characterized by means of FT-IR, NMR, and solubility, mechanical and thermal tests. After the acetylation, the used ionic liquid AmimCl was easily recycled and reused. This study shows the potential of the homogeneous acetylation of cellulose at relatively high concentrations in ionic liquids in future industrial applications.     

Impact of non‐solvent on regeneration of cellulose dissolved in 1‐(carboxymethyl)pyridinium chloride ionic liquid

Cellulose dissolved in ionic liquid (1‐(carboxymethyl)pyridinium chloride)/water (60/40 w/w) mixture is regenerated in various non‐solvents, namely water, ethanol, methanol and acetone, to gain more insight into the contribution of non‐solvent medium to the morphology of regenerated cellulose. To this end, the initial and regenerated celluloses were characterized with respect to crystallinity, thermal stability, chemical structure and surface morphology using wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. According to the results, regardless of non‐solvent type, all regenerated samples have the same chemical structure and lower crystallinity in comparison to the initial cellulose, making them a promising candidate for efficient biofuel production based on enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose. The reduction in crystallinity of regenerated samples is explained based on the potential of the non‐solvent to break the hydrogen bonds between cellulose chains and ionic liquid molecules as well as the affinity of water and non‐solvent which can be evaluated based on Hansen solubility parameter. The latter also determines the phase‐separation mechanism during the regeneration process, which in turn affects surface morphology of the regenerated cellulose. The pivotal effect of regenerated cellulose crystallinity on its thermal stability is also demonstrated. Regenerated cellulose with lower crystallinity is more susceptible to molecular rearrangement during heating and hence exhibits enhanced thermal stability. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Wear of liquid crystal‐additivated polymers against steel

A thermotropic liquid crystal, 4,4′‐dibutylazobenzene, added in a 1% weight proportion to thermoplastic materials, polystyrene (PS) and styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), gives, after molding the mixture at 150°C and 22 MPa, a new family of polymers with an improved resistance to sliding dry wear against steel as tested in a pin‐on‐disc tribometer. Variable load, sliding speed, and distance tests were performed to establish the range of conditions under which the wear‐resistance improvement is maximum. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 831–837, 1999     

Rheology of 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride cellulose solutions. I. Shear rheology

In this article, shear rheology of solutions of different concentrations obtained by dissolution of cellulose in the ionic liquid (IL) solvent 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim]Cl) was studied by measuring the complex viscosity and dynamic moduli at different temperatures. The obtained viscosity curves were compared with those of lyocell solutions and melt blowing grade polypropylene melts of different melt flow rates (MFR). Master curves were generated for complex viscosity and dynamic moduli by using Carreau and Cross viscosity models to fit experimental data. From the Arrhenius plots of the shift factors with respect to temperature, the activation energies for shear flow were determined. These varied between 18.99 and 24.09 kCal/mol, and were compared with values for lyocell solutions and different polymeric melts, such as polyolefins, polystyrene, and polycarbonate. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Regenerated cellulose membrane prepared with ionic liquid 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride as solvent using wheat straw

BACKGROUND: Currently, cellulose membranes are prepared by cellulose acetate hydrolysis or chemical derivatization dissolution and regeneration using cotton pulp or wood pulp. In this study, the concept ‘lignocelluloses biorefinery’ was used, and good quality long fiber was fractionated from wheat straw using clean technologies. The objective of this study is to develop wheat straw cellulose to prepare regenerated cellulose membrane with ionic liquid 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM]Cl) as solvent. RESULTS: Wheat straw cellulose (WSC) fractionated from wheat straw contained 93.6% α‐cellulose and the degree of polymerization (DP) was 580. WSC was dissolved directly without derivatization in [BMIM]Cl. With increase in dissolving temperature, the DP of the regenerated cellulose dropped, which resulted in a decrease in the intensity of regenerated cellulose membrane. After regeneration in [BMIM]Cl, the WSC transformed from cellulose I to cellulose II, and the crystallinity of the regenerated cellulose was lower than the original cellulose. The regenerated WSC membrane had good mechanical performance and permeability, the tensile strength and breaking elongation were 170 MPa and 6.4%, respectively, the pure water flux was 238.9 L m^?2 h^?1 at 0.3 MPa pressure, and the rejection of BSA was stabilized at about 97%. CONCLUSION: Wheat straw cellulose fractionated from wheat straw satisfied the requirement to prepare regenerated cellulose membrane using ionic liquid [BMIM]Cl as solvent. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry