The High-Temperature Reaction between Formaldehyde and Cellulose: Part I: Catalysis

The examination of the kineties of the high-temperature reaction between formalde hyde and cellulose has shown that formaldehyde is consumed by two competitive proc esses. The main reaction between formaldehyde and the cellulose is a pseudo-first- order reaction with respect to formaldehyde concentration and a more complicated function of the catalyst concentration. Formaldehyde is also lost, concurrently, to the gas phase at a rate that is dependent on such experimental variables as surface area, air velocity, etc. By relating the behavior of typical catalysts for the reaction to their chemical properties, it has been shown that these have'a common property, identified as "Lewis acidity." This aprotic acidiy can be distinguished from "Bronsted acidity" by a dye adsorption test.