Application of Spectroscopy to Analyze the Degree of Substitution of Carboxymethyl Cellulose

In this study, the degree of substitution of CMC (carboxymethyl cellulose) was calculated through a titration method, and the data were compared with the measured value of the degree of substitution measured by EDS (energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) and the degree of substitution measured by IR (Infrared spectroscopy), and the correlation was analyzed to calculate the degree of substitution of CMC more conveniently. In addition, by identifying the chemical properties of CMC according to the degree of substitution, we tried to provide basic data for the application of CMC in the future. When the degree of substitution of CMC analyzed through EDS analysis was compared with the result of the degree of substitution by the titration method, it was confirmed to have relatively high accuracy, but expensive equipment and remaining NaCl may affect the result. So, it was judged that commercialization may be somewhat difficult. It was easier to analyze the degree of substitution through IR analysis, and more accurate results could be expected than analysis through EDS. Using the Savitzky-Golay algorithm and PCA (principal component analysis), it was possible to identify CMC’s chemical properties and analyze classification according to the degree of substitution. Therefore, it is believed that the application of IR when analyzing the degree of substitution of CMC will simplify the investigation of the relationship between the structure, physical properties, and applications of CMC in the future. © 2023 Korean Technical Assoc. of the Pulp and Paper Industry. All rights reserved.