Alpha cellulose from industrial and agricultural renewable sources like short flax fibres, ears of corn and wheat-straw and its transformation into cellulose acetates

Cellulose with high content of alpha cellulose (ca. 98%, named CF) was extracted from short flax fibres following a free chloride procedure based on a two-step oxidative approach. The same procedure provided celluloses with alpha cellulose content around 83% from ears of corn (CC) and wheat straw (CW). CF can be used for the preparation of cellulose triacetate (CTA) and diacetate (CA), while both CC and CW can be used for the preparation of CA. The polymerisation degree (DP), dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements, solution 13C NMR and solid state (CP MAS) 13C NMR spectra were properly used to characterise the extracted celluloses CF, CC, CW as well as their acetylated derivatives CTA and CA. Commercial alpha cellulose and CA samples were characterised in the same way and compared with CF, CC, CW and CTA, CA, respectively. From these comparisons, they all appeared to be cellulose materials suitable for industrial developments.