Assignment

Cellulose Unit Process

Acetate
Submitted To: Engr. Iqra Saleem
Submitted By: Iqra Mubeen
Reg # 2017-CH-426
 Assignment # 1
Cellulose Acetate
Fundamentals:
Cellulose is a naturally occurring polymer obtained from wood fibers or the short fibers (linters)
adhering to cotton seeds.
It is made up of repeating glucose units that have the chemical formula C6H7O2 (OH)3 and the
following molecular structure:

In unaltered cellulose, the X in the molecular structure represents hydrogen (H), indicating the presence
in the molecule of three hydroxyl (OH) groups.
Cellulose acetate is the acetate ester of cellulose. It was first prepared in 1865.

Properties:
Physical Properties
 -Soft, smooth, natural feel.
 -High flexibility
 -High gloss
 -Biodegradable
 -Good chemical resistivity
 -Moderate ability to protest friction
 -Good elongation at break
 -Protective against insects
 -Poor abrasive ability
 -Poor breaking tenacity must be dry cleaned.
Chemical properties
 -Absorbs water easily, Loses strength when wet.
 -soluble in Acetone
 -Weak against strong bleaching/oxidizing agents
 -Soluble in Acids
  -Damages greatly by strong alkalis
 -Relieves dyes easily, needs special dyes and pigments to color it.
 -Easy to bond with plasticizers, heat and pressure
 -Can be incinerated or composted
Applications:
 -Clothes : Cellulose acetate is used in manufacturing everything from clothing fabric to
buttons including upholstery, slip covers etc.
 -Cigarette filters
 -Ink reservoirs for fiber tip pens
 -Inauguration ribbons, gift ribbons etc
 -Surgical products
 -Absorbent fibers in diapers and sanitary napkins
 -Sophisticated playing cards
 -Production of children toys
Production Procedure of Cellulose Acetate:
1. -Cellulose is derived from wood pulp or linters of cotton. This is not 100% pure cellulose.
Instead, it is 6-7% concentrated cellulose in water.
2. -In displacement and acetylation phase, firstly water or impure acetic base used to make
cellulose suspension is replaced with 100% of pure acetic acid. This process is done with
“displacement filter”.
3. -Then the suspension is sent to Acetylation kneader where acetylation takes place and
dough acetic syrup is produced. This syrup is mixed with certain amount of water to
avoid excessive anhydride and introduce certain amount of water for next stage of
process.
4. -This sough mixture is then sent for hydrolysis. After end of hydrolysis, we get Cellulose
acetate with acetic acid content around 54-55 percent.
5. -The syrup is then precipitated as acid-resin flakes.
6. -The acid-resin flakes suspension is then sent into ripening rotary drum
7. -From ripening rotary drum, it is fed into washing rotary filter where it is filtered. The
washing rotary filter is fed with water and delivers diluted acid.
8. -Spinning solution is then extruded through conveyer belts into a column of warm air
and thus solvent is recovered.
9. -Recovered solvent (Dry cellulose acetate) filaments are then stretched onto cones and
bobbins.
10. -Lastly, filaments are spun into fiber.
Block Flow Diagram For Cellulose Acetate Production: