Semimicro determination of cellulose inbiological materials

A semimicro method is described for the determination of cellulose inmicrobial cultures, other biological materials, or pulp and paper products. Lignin, hemicellulose, and xylosans are extracted with acetic acid/nitric acid reagent, and the remaining cellulose is dissolved in 67% H2SO4 and determined by the anthrone reagent. The method gives quantitative recovery of purified cellulose from microbiological culture media, and also appears to be satisfactory for cellulose from paper pulp.