Pyrolytic Reaction of Carbohydrates. Part IX the Effect of Additives on the Thermal Behavior of Cellulose Samples of Different Crystallinity

The thermal decomposition of four different cellulose samples (untreated cellulose, powdered or ball‐milled Whatman 544 filter paper, and micro‐crystalline cellulose) was studied at 250°. In samples heated either alone or in the presence of NaHSO4, Na2SO4, Na3PO4, or NaCl for 2 or 4 hr, weight loss, total organic volatiles, levoglucosan, water, acids, average degree of polymerization, and crystallinity index were determined. The results obtained are tabulated and compared. Whereas pretreatment and crystallinity considerably affect the pyrolytic behavior of the different samples, the presence of additives tends to mask the observable differences.