Effects of mechanical activation pretreatment on dissolution properties of cellulose in alkali liquor

Pine bleached pulp was pretreated by mechanical activation in a self-designed stirring ball mill, and the effects of mechanical activation on its solubility and degree of polymerization (DP) were investigated, respectively. It was found that the solubility increased from 20% to 78% and DP decreased from 237 to 129 with increasing the activation time to 120 min, indicating that mechanical activation had significant effect on the solubility and DP of pine bleached pulp. The changes in morphology and crystal structure of pine bleached pulp were measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively, which showed the effect of mechanical activation on the dissolution properties of cellulose.