Abstract:

The aim of this study was to develop a predictive model to monitor changes in the degree of substitution (DS)
during the reaction of cellulose with succinic anhydride. The effects of reaction parameters (temperature, succinic anhydride/
cellulose ratio and reaction time) on the DS of cellulose succinate were investigated. The relationships between various
parameters and DS values were obtained. Based on these relationships, an empirical model, DS = h× ln (1＋k0×e-i/T ×
R×t), was developed to predict the DS of cellulose ester during the esterification process. A good linear correlation
(R2 = 0.945 4) was found, indicating that the efficiency and reliability of the empirical model for accurately predicting the
DS values as a function of reaction parameters during the acylation process. This model can provide a useful guideline for
the production of cellulose succinate.

Key words: homogeneous reaction, cellulose, degree of substitution, esterification, empirical model