A Novel Reactor for Preparing Cellulose Acetate Esters

At present, cellulose acetate esters are prepared using a batch process. The batch process involves the use of base catalysts. The catalytic conditions and reaction kinetics of the batch process makes it a slow and inefficient. We propose the use of an extruder as a chemical reactor for preparing these cellulose esters. Compared to the conventional process, reactive extrusion, using iodine as a catalyst, is a solvent-less, continuous, fast and efficient, and a cost-effective process. We have studied the effects of reaction and extrusion conditions on the reaction efficiency and the resulting product properties.