Preparation of rice husk based carboxymethyl cellulose and its membrane performance

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is a kind of water soluble cellulose, which has good viscosity, emulsion and heat stability. However, CMC production is limited by refined cotton, which is the main raw material and expensive. In this study rice husk, the main byproduct of grain production in China, was used as the new material to prepare CMC by the solvent method. The etherification temperature was set at 80℃ and the mole ratio of cellulose unit and sodium chloroacetate was 1:4. Thus the degree of substitution was 0.76 and the viscosity was 23 MPa·s. The carboxymethylation was completed as proved by the FTIR study. The water vapor permeability (MVP), oil permeability (P0), break strength and elongation at break of the membranes were measured at different CMC concentrations and the CMC membrane showed good membrane forming properties. The water permeability and flexibility were strengthened with high CMC concentrations. © 2015, Editorial Office of Journal of CIFST. All right reserved.