STRUCTURE-PROPERTY CORRELATIONS OF CELLUL OSE DERIVATIVES CELLULOSE ETHERS - SURVEY BASED ON SELECTED EXAMPLES

The ecological raw material resource cellulose invites the society to make intensive use of it. The native polymer's chemico-physical proper ties result in the fact that the main quantity of industrial cellulose is used predominantly in exploitations of its mechanical properties. In addition, owing to cellulosics research, the renewable resource is experiencing a steadily broadening scope of application deriving from the synthesis of soluble cellulose ethers and esters. Using cellulose ethers to illustrate this development, the various fields of applicati on are outlined. The current spectrum of applications derives from a d istinct dependence of properties and effects on structural parameters. Selected examples are given to demonstrate the chance for influencing specific product characteristics by variations of the chemical micros tructure and the macrostructure of the derivative.