Thermogravimetric Analysis of Ammonia-Swelled Cellulose

Abstract

Cellulose decrystallized by swelling in liquid ammonia produced a simpler thermogravimetric analysis curve than obtained from ordinary cellulose—presumably because of a decrease in the intermolecular char-forming reactions. By using a graphical procedure which permits a linear plot of the thermogram, it was possible to resolve the overall curve into two components: the principal reaction by which more than 90% of the weight loss occurred (activation energy = 54.9 kcal/mole; pre-exponential factor = 3.15 × 10¹⁹/min), and a second component which may be approximated by a first-order reaction leading to an ultimate 4% char.