Solubility cyanoethylated wood

Cyanoethylation of wood meal has been used to impart thermoplasticity to wood (Morita and Sakata, 1986 Hon and San Luis, 1989). Treatment of cyanoethylated wood with a chlorine solution has also been found to improve the solubility of the treated wood in various organic solvents (Morita etal, 1987). Films have been prepared by casting from DMF solution on to glass (Yamawaki etal, 1990). 

Morita, M. and Sakata, I. (1988). Development of the thermoplasticity and solubility of cyanoethylated woods and barks of various species. Mokuzai Gakkaishi, 34(11), 917-922. 

The third method of dissolution is based on the mild chlorination of chemically modified wood according to Sakata and Morita (13) (Postchlorination method). Chlorination, in fact, resulted in enhanced solubility of chemically modified wood in solvents, including phenol. For example, chlorinated cyanoethylated wood does not only dissolve in cresol even at room temperature, but it also dissolves (under heating) in resorcinol, phenol and a LiCl-dimethylacetamide solution. 

Because cyanoethylated wood contains reactive nitrile groups, various functional derivatives are obtained by utilizing the nitrile groups [25]. For example, carbamoylethylated wood (water-soluble, nonionic, liquid crystal-... 

When chemically modified woods are chlorinated, their solubility in solvents is tremendously enhanced. For example, at room temperature cyanoethylated wood can dissolve in o-cresol by only 9.25%. However, once chlorinated, it can dissolve almost completely in the same solvent at room temperature. The chlorinated-cyanoethylated wood can also dissolve in resorcinol, phenol, and an LiCl-dimethylacetamide solution under heating. 

M. Moritaandl. Sakata, An improvement of the thermoplasticity and the solvent-solubility of cyanoethylated wood by halogen treatment. Cellulose Chem. Tech-nol. 27 255-265 (1987). 

To show that the decay resistance observed is caused by a bulking mechanism and not the toxicity of acrylonitrile or its reaction products, cyanoethylated wood was extracted with hot water (104) to show that the leachate had no toxic effects on Lenzites trabea. The leached blocks lost their decay resistance, which may be caused by the reaction of acrylonitrile with the ammonia catalyst that was used to form water-soluble polymers in the cell wall. 

Highly cyanoethylated celluloses with a DS of about 2.5 are soluble in polar organic solvents. Because of an unusually high dielectric constant and low dissipation factor they can be used as the resin matrix for the phosphorous and electroluminescent lamps. Cyanoethylated kraft wood pulp with a DS of only about 0.2 is used for making insulation paper for transformers. Cyanoethylated paper has also a good thermal and dimensional stability. 

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