Optimization of Reaction Conditions for Preparing Carboxymethyl Cellulose Guaze

Chemical modification was employed for converting cotton gauze to carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) gauze by treating them with sodium monochloroacetate and sodium hydroxide. Fourier Transform Infrared spectra (FTIR) were used to characterize the product. The reaction was optimized against temperature, concentration and reaction time for obtaining high degree of conversion. Under optimized conditions, the CMC gauze has a large degree of substitution (DS) of 0.43, and it has shown better moisture absorption ability than that of common cotton gauze.