Hoechst Celanese Corporation

Celanese Fibers, Inc.

Kenneth A Domeshek

Thomas L Steiner

Lance J Deutsch

Jesse L Riley

Dana T Minnick

Donald H Lester, Jr

William Stitt

Karen L Zazzara

Cellulose ester microparticles with unique properties are made by a process having the following steps:

Cellulose ester microparticles and process for making the same

Process for making cellulose ester microparticles

Microparticle of cellulose acetate and derivatives thereof characterized by being water soluble, having a large interior void space and having a plurality of open exterior surface pores. These water soluble microparticles can be loaded with a chemical selected from the group consisting of pharmaceuticals, dyes, flavorings, agriculturals, solid catalysts and fragrances. The microparticles are produced by forming spherical droplets of a dope of water soluble cellulose acetate and water soluble derivatives of cellulose acetate with a solvent therefor, precipitating the spherical droplets in a bath of a precipitant for water soluble cellulose acetate and water soluble derivatives of cellulose acetate, separating the excess precipitant from the microparticles, enriching the microparticles with the precipitant by contacting the microparticles one or more times with a solution of the precipitant, removing rapidly under vacuum substantially all of the precipitant from the microparticles, and recovering the resulting water soluble microparticles.

Preparation of water soluble cellulose acetate microspheres

Water soluble cellulose acetate composition having improved processability and tensile properties suitable for application as films, coatings and fibers and comprising one or more lower molecular weight water soluble cellulose acetate components and one or more higher molecular weight water soluble cellulose acetate components, and wherein the lower molecular weight water soluble cellulose acetate components have solution viscosities at least 20 percent of that of the higher molecular weight water soluble cellulose acetate components. An exemplary composition comprises from about 85 to 98 percent by weight of a lower molecular weight water soluble cellulose acetate component having a solution viscosity of form about 5 to 50 cps and from about 15 to 2 percent by weight of a higher molecular weight water soluble cellulose acetate component having a solution viscosity of greater than 100 cps.

Water soluble cellulose acetate composition having improved

Water soluble cellulose acetate microspheres

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Matthews, NC, United States of America

Kenneth A Domeshek