CELLULOSE ETHER

Cellulose is an odorless, white powdery fiber. Density: 1.5 g/cm3. The biopolymer composes the cell wall of vegetable tissues. Prepared by treating cotton with an organic solvent to de-wax it and removing pectic acids by extraction with a solution of sodium hydroxide. The principal fiber composes the cell wall of vegetable tissues (wood, cotton, flax, grass, etc.). Technical uses depend on the strength and flexibility of its fibers. Insoluble in water. Soluble with chemical degradation in sulfuric acid, and in concentrated solutions of zinc chloride. Soluble in aqueous solutions of cupric ammonium hydroxide (Cu(NH3)4(OH)2).