Eastman Chemical Company

Eastman-kodak Company

Chung-Ming Kuo

Jessica Dee Posey-Dowty

Charles Michael Buchanan

Norma Lindsey Buchanan

Matthew Davie Wood

Juanelle Little Lambert

Michael Orlando Malcolm

Thelma Lee Watterson

Margaretha Soderqvist Lindblad

Susan Northrop Carty

Richard T Bogan

Richard H Wang

Stephen H Wu

Benedict M Lee

Larry Gerald Curtis

Alan P Leonard

This invention provides cellulose ester interpolymers, and methods of oxidizing cellulose interpolymers and cellulose ester interpolymers. The invention also provides routes to access carboxylated cellulose ester derivatives with high acid numbers wherein the carboxyl group is attached directly to the cellulose backbone by a carbon-carbon bond. Through functionalization of an intermediate aldehyde, the corresponding cationic or zwitterionic cellulose ester derivatives can also be accessed. The interpolymers of the present invention have a number of end-use applications, for example, as binder resins in various types of coating compositions and as drug delivery agents.

Cellulose interpolymers and method of oxidation

Cellulose interpolymers and methods of oxidation

A process for preparing a carboxylated cellulose ester from oxidized cellulose is described. The carboxylated cellulose esters have improved solvent solubility and coating resin compatibility when compared to cellulose esters made from regular grade cellulose. The process comprises activating the oxidized cellulose with water. The activated oxidized cellulose is then dehydrated by displacing the water with acetic acid and optionally displacing at least some of the acetic acid with butyric acid or propionic acid. After dehydration the activated cellulose is reacted with an esterifying reagent in the presence of a catalyst at about 0.degree. C. The temperature is gradually increased to a level sufficient to complete reaction and to obtain an intrinsic viscosity ranging from about 0.2 to about 1.6 dl/g. The reacted solution is then hydrolyzed to obtain a hydroxyl content ranging from about 0.05 to about 1.0. The catalyst is neutralized with a neutralizing agent and the solution is optionally filtered and the carboxylated cellulose ester is then precipitated with a precipitating agent. The invention also relates to carboxylated cellulose esters prepared by the process described above as well as high solids coating compositions containing carboxylated cellulose esters made by the above process.

Carboxylated cellulose esters

This invention is based on the discovery that certain cellulose acetoacetate mixed esters will remain insoluble in mild (near-neutral) or acidic aqueous solutions, but dissolve under alkaline conditions. The esters are particularly useful as coatings for controlled-release applications. Coatings comprising these esters will dissolve to release a coated active agent under alkaline conditions, the exact pH at which dissolution occurs being adjustable.

PH-sensitive coatings based on cellulose acetoacetate

The present invention provides a novel cellulosic material and a process for preparing the same. The cellulosic material is a carboxylated cellulose ester material having an acid number of at least about 5, an inherent viscosity of from about 0.01 to about 1.00 and wherein the anhydroglucose units thereof have ring substituents comprising by weight based on total polymer weight, of from about 0.05 to about 20% hydroxyl groups, from about 0.5 to about 44% acetyl groups, from 0 to about 54% butyryl groups, from 0 to about 47% propionyl groups, from about 0.4 to about 4.0% total carboxyl groups wherein from about 20% to about 100% of these carboxyl groups are non-saponifiable backbone, and wherein the material has a lactone level of from about 4.52.times.10.sup.-5 to about 6.13.times.10.sup.-4. The carboxylated cellulose esters of the present invention are prepared by reacting a cellulose ester with ozone at a temperature of about 25.degree. to 80.degree. C. for a period of time sufficient to yield the carboxylated cellulose ester product. Also disclosed are end use applications for the carboxylated cellulose esters, such as metal coatings, pigment dispersions, wood coatings, inks, etc.

Carboxylated cellulose ester and manufacture thereof

The present invention relates to a method of preparing lower fatty acid esters of cellulose which comprises esterifying at a temperature of between about 75.degree. C. and about 110.degree. C. a cellulose compound having esterifiable hydroxyl groups with an esterifying bath comprising an organic acid anhydride, a diluent, and a catalyst comprising from 0.2 to 2.0 parts phosphoric acid, from 0.1 to 1.2 parts sulfuric acid, and from 0.05 to 0.6 parts of a hindered aliphatic alcohol by weight per 100 parts of the cellulose to be esterified.

Process for esterification of cellulose using as the catalyst the

Improved method for preparing cellulose acetate powder, particularly extrusion-grade powder, by direct precipitation, with the precipitation step occurring at a temperature of about 65.degree. C. to about 95.degree. C. and with the coagulating agent subsequently being removed from the resulting liquid powder slurry also at a temperature of about 65.degree. C. to about 95.degree. C.; and the cellulose acetate powder product resulting from the improved method, the powder being particularly adapted to take up plasticizer up to about 50 percent by weight and still flow uniformly without caking or becoming tacky.

Direct precipitation method for producing extrusion-grade cellulose

This invention is directed to a new thermal stabilizer system for cellulose esters and their commercially useful formulated compositions which can be molded, shaped and otherwise processed in a thermoplastic condition at elevated temperatures to provide products having (1) better molecular weight retention and (2) less discoloration after thermal processing when compared to similar cellulose ester compositions containing prior art stabilizers.

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Kingsport, TN, United States of America

Chung-Ming Kuo