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nitrocellulose
nitrocellulose nitric acid ester of cellulose (a glucose polymer). It is usually formed by the action of a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acids on purified cotton or wood pulp. The extent of nitration and degradation (breaking down) of the cellulose is carefully controlled in order to obtain th...
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cellulose
cellulose chief constituent of the cell walls of plants. Chemically, it is a carbohydrate that is a high molecular weight polysaccharide. Raw cotton is composed of 91% pure cellulose; other important natural sources are flax, hemp, jute, straw, and wood. Cellulose has been used for the manufactur...
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cellophane
cellophane thin, transparent sheet or tube of regenerated cellulose . Cellophane is used in packaging and as a membrane for dialysis . It is sometimes dyed and can be moisture-proofed by a thin coating of pyroxylin . There are several steps in the preparation of cellophane from raw cellulose. Th...
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ethanol
ethanol or ethyl alcohol, CH 3 CH 2 OH, a colorless liquid with characteristic odor and taste; commonly called grain alcohol or simply alcohol .
Properties
Ethanol is a monohydric primary alcohol. It melts at -117.3°C and boils at 78.5°C. It is miscible (i.e., mixes without s...
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gasohol
gasohol a gasoline extender made from a mixture of gasoline (90%) and ethanol (10%; often obtained by fermenting agricultural crops or crop wastes) or gasoline (97%) and methanol , or wood alcohol (3%). Gasohol has higher octane, or antiknock, properties than gasoline and burns more slowly, co...
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celluloid
celluloid [from cellulose ], transparent, colorless synthetic plastic made by treating cellulose nitrate with camphor and alcohol. Celluloid was the first important synthetic plastic and was widely used as a substitute for more expensive substances, such as ivory, amber, horn, and tortoiseshell....
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acetaldehyde
acetaldehyde or ethanal , CH 3 CHO, colorless liquid aldehyde , sometimes simply called aldehyde. It melts at -123°C, boils at 20.8°C, and is soluble in water and ethanol. It is formed by the partial oxidation of ethanol; oxidation of acetaldehyde forms acetic acid. Acetaldehyde is made...
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chloroform
chloroform or trichloromethane , CHCl 3 , volatile, colorless, nonflammable liquid that has a sweetish taste and a somewhat pungent odor; it boils at 61.7°C. It dissolves freely in ethanol and ether but does not mix with water. Chloroform is produced by reaction of chlorine with ethanol and ...
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lignin
lignin , a highly polymerized and complex chemical compound especially common in woody plants. The cellulose walls of the wood become impregnated with lignin, a process called lignification, which greatly increases the strength and hardness of the cell and gives the necessary rigidity to the tree. I...
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acetate
acetate , one of the most important forms of artificial cellulose-based fibers; the ester of acetic acid. The first patents for the production of fibers from cellulose acetate appeared at the beginning of the 20th cent. During World War I, production of acetylcellulose began on an industrial scale f...
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