Project Report on Manufacture Of Cellulose Acetate

The first reported orgaic ester of cellulose was cellulose acetate, prepared by schutzenberger (1865)  by heating cotton and acetic anhydride to about 180oC in a sealed tube until the cotton dissolved. Franchiomont (1879) accomplished this reaction at a lower  temperature  with  the aid of H2S04 as a catalyst. The product in both the cases was very nearly the  triester.  Miles (1903)  first  described partially hydrolyzed (generally called secondary)  cellulose acetate and distinguished it from  the tri acetate by its solubility in acetone. The solubility of secondary acetate in a low cost and relatively non-toxi solvent such as acetone contributed greatly to the    development and commercilisation  of  the material. Acetate rayon in the early 1920's  ensured  cellulose  acetate at an economic price and in regular bulk supply and in 1924,  the name  rayon was established throughout  the world as the generic term of artificial silk. The establishment  of the Rayon industry made the cellulose plastic an economic possibility. The British Cellulose   and Chemical  Manufacturing Co., established in spondon became the British  Celanese  Co., and the name of  celanese became world fames,  before  the 1930's were out, this  was  joined  by others which today are equally world famous such as East man and Kodak, Hercules   and courtaulds. In 1936, the  world  output  of  Rayon passed te 1000 million lb mark.