Ionic Interactions Between Chitosan and Oxidised Cellulose

Abstract

Although there are a number of patent claiming the use of chitosan and chitosan derivatives in paper-making1–4, very little fundamental work on the adsorption of chitosan on cellulose has been reported. An extensive study of the effectiveness of chitosan as a strength additive, using various methods of application, has been reported5–8. The results were interpreted in terms of the effect of chitosan on interfibre bonding but again no fundamental studies on the adsorption process itself were carried out. A water-soluble chitosan derivative, glycol chitosan, was one of nine cationic polymers, or potentially cationic polymers, used in the study of the pH dependence of the adsorption of cationic polyelectrolytes on bleached kraft pulp9. The interest within the paper industry in the use of chitosan as an additive, and the lack of any detailed studies of the adsorption process, have prompted the authors to investigate the effects of a number of variables on the adsorption of chitosan on cellulose. The effects of temperature, mechanical pretreatment of the cellulose, molecular weight of chitosan and its degree of N-acetylation have been reported previously10.