Preparation of nano cellulosenitrate based on cellulose nano-whisker

Nanocellulose with average diameter of 15 -30nm and length of 150 -250nm was prepared by sulfuric acid (mass ratio of 64%)as catalyst, acid-to-pulp ratio of 17. 5 mg/L and the cotton linter utrasonically pretreated for 15 min in ice bath. The nitrocellulose was obtaind in the nanocellulose suspensions by 92.5wt% HNO₃ solution. The results show that due to its tiny dimension, large specific surface and heterogeneous dispersion in nitric acid, nanocellulose had faster nitration rate and higher extreme nitrogen content compared with that of micron-dimensional cotton linter. The nanocellulose were completely nitrified within 5 min.