Yoshiro Onda

Water retention capacity of cellulose derivatives by the compression method

The water retention capacity of methyl, hydroxyethyl and hydroxypropyl celluloses was evaluated through the void ratio and modified consolidation coefficient by the compression method. The void ratio of methyl cellulose increases with decreasing degree of substitution and the modified consolidation coefficient increases with increasing degree of substitution. These results show that methyl cellulose with a low degree of substitution has a high water retention capacity. The water retention capacity of cellulose derivatives estimated from the void ratio is in the order of that of hydroxyethyl, hydroxypropyl and methyl celluloses.