CHARACTERIZATION OF CHEMICALLY MODIFIED CHEMITHERMOMECHANICAL PULP BY THERMAL-ANALYSIS .1. TREATMENT WITH ANHYDRIDES

Chemithermomechanical pulp modified by different non-catalytic anhydride treatments was characterized by gravimetric and thermoanalytical methods (thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry). The influence of increasing aliphatic chain length of the anhydride and kind of solvent on the properties of the chemically modified pulp was investigated. TG and DSC measurements were shown to be useful and efficient tools for determination of hydrophilicity and degradation behavior of the modified pulp. A more polar and swelling solvent for the anhydride modification process is shown to be best. The highest reduction in the water uptake was achieved with butyric anhydride compared with propionic and acetic anhydrides. The treatment with acetic anhydride, however, resulted in the highest thermal stability of the modified cellulosic pulp.