THE YIELD OF ?-GLUCOSANE OBTAINED FROM LOW-PRESSURE DISTILLATION OF CELLULOSE

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Abstract
Cellulose has been distilled by a method essentially the same as that of Pictet and Sarasin (Helv. Chem. Acta., 1918, I., 87) to ascertain the effect of the purity of cotton on the yield of β-glucosane obtainable. Starting with raw, mechanically cleaned American and Egyptian cottons, the inorganic impurities are the most detrimental to the yield of β-glucosane, which rises from 0 to 28% on removal of the water soluble portion. Treatment with 1.5% caustic soda, followed by 1% hydrochloric acid and washing, raises the yield to as much as 38%. Fats and waxes appear to be innocuous, and elaborate purification does not increase the yield, but improvements in the estimation of the β-glucosane and conditions of distillation would probably give yields of 50%; the amount of the various portions of the distillate differ from those obtained by Pictet and Sarasin. After treatment with dilute caustic soda and hydrochloric acid, subsequent boiling with 1.5% caustic soda depresses the yield of β-glucosane from Egyptian cotton; little or no depression is produced in the case of American cotton; the difference is possibly due to a stereo-isomeric change in the molecular complex of Egyptian cotton. The acidity of the aqueous portion of the distillate is always lowest when the yield of β-glucosane is highest. This seems to be at variance with Irvine and Oldham's (J.C.S., 1921, T.119, 1750) view of the origin of the β-glucosane. Starch and hydrocellulose have been distilled with similar results.

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