Thermal Stability of Lyocell Solutions: Experimental Results and Modeling Using Cluster Analysis and Partial Least Squares Regression

A population of 167 samples were monitored using by rheological, calorimetric, chromatographic and spectroscopic methods, which allows a precise description of the thermal behavior. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to find similarities between groups of samples. Principal components analysis revealed isoperibolic pressure slope, morpholine and N-methylmorpholine as variables providing most information concerning the thermostability. The onset temperature as the beginning of an exothermicity can be modeled by the combination of detection of amines and aldehydes and subsequent PLS regression.