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Effect of urea on cellulose degradation under conditions of alkaline pulping

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Abstract

The effect of urea on the cellulose degradation under conditions of alkaline pulping has been studied using purified cellulose powder. The increased cellulose yield in the presence of urea was assigned essentially to the carbamation reactions which were confirmed by elemental analysis, UV-resonance Raman and solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The stabilizing effect of urea on the cellulose peeling reactions during heating up period of pulping process was suggested based on kinetic studies and additionally confirmed in model reactions using cellobiose. The reaction products formed in alkaline urea solutions were analysed by tandem electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and the occurrence of Maillard type reactions between reducing end groups of cellobiose and urea were evidenced. Both Maillard type reactions and carbamation of reducing end groups were proposed to be a part of cellulose protection mechanism against peeling under the conditions of alkaline pulping.

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Acknowledgments

Authors acknowledge Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for the financial support of this work within the scope of CICECO grant PEst-C/CTM/LA0011/2011 and TEKES—the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation. The financial support received from Andritz Oy, Danisco Sweeteners Oy, Metsä Fibre Oy, Stora Enso Oy and UPM is also gratefully acknowledged. Authors thank Lidia Testova and Karlo Nieminen from Aalto University (Finland) for their help with kinetic modeling.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forest Products Technology, School of Chemical Technology, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, 00076, Espoo, Finland

    Olga Ershova & Herbert Sixta

  2. I3N, Department of Physics, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

    António J. S. Fernandes

  3. CICECO/QOPNA, Chemistry Department, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

    Elisabete V. da Costa, M. Rosário Domingues & Dmitry V. Evtuguin

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  1. Olga Ershova
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  2. Elisabete V. da Costa
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  3. António J. S. Fernandes
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  4. M. Rosário Domingues
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  5. Dmitry V. Evtuguin
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  6. Herbert Sixta
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Correspondence to Dmitry V. Evtuguin.

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Ershova, O., da Costa, E.V., Fernandes, A.J.S. et al. Effect of urea on cellulose degradation under conditions of alkaline pulping. Cellulose 19, 2195–2204 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-012-9791-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-012-9791-4

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