Influence of the supramolecular structure and physicochemical properties of cellulose on its dissolution in a lithium chloride/N,N-dimethylacetamide solvent system.

The present work deals with the effects of structural variables of celluloses on their dissolution in the solvent system LiCl/N,N-dimethylacetamide, LiCl/DMAc. Celluloses from fast growing sources (sisal and linters), as well as microcrystalline cellulose (avicel PH-101) were studied. The following structural variables were investigated: index of crystallinity, I(c); crystallite size; polymer porosity; and degree of polymerization determined by viscosity, DPv.