Chemical modification of cellulose extracted from sugarcane bagasse: Preparation of hydroxyethyl cellulose

Cellulose was extracted from sugarcane bagasse by alkaline extraction with sodium hydroxide followed by delignification/bleaching using sodium chlorite/hexamethylenetetramine system. Factors affecting extraction process, including sodium hydroxide concentration, hexamethylenetetramine concentration and temperature were studied and optimum conditions for alkaline extraction were found to be boiling finely ground bagasse under reflux in 1 N sodium hydroxide solution and then carrying out the delignification/bleaching treatment at 95 °C using 5 g/l sodium chlorite together with 0.02 g/l hexamethylenetetramine. The extracted cellulose was used in the preparation of hydroxyethyl cellulose through reaction with ethylene oxide in alkaline medium. Factors affecting the hydroxyethylation reaction, like sodium hydroxide concentration during the alkali formation step, ethylene oxide concentration, reaction temperature and reaction duration were studied. Optimum conditions for hydroxyethylation reaction were using 20% NaOH solution and 200% ethylene oxide (based on weight of cellulose), carrying out the reaction at 100 °C for 60 min.