Kinetic Parameters of the Cross-linking Reaction of Cellulose Membranes with Bifunctional Epoxides

Kinetic parameters of the cross-linking reaction of porous cellulose membranes with aqueous solutions of two different diglycidyl ethers were determined by dynamic DSC experiments. The autocatalytic reaction behavior was described with an extended Prout-Tompkins equation. Kinetic analysis revealed a similar kinetic behavior for both diglycidyl ethers, with an apparent activation energy of 45-65 kJ mol(-1) and a reaction order between 0.9 and 1.5, suggesting a transition from one to another dominant reaction mechanism when the composition of the cross-linking solution is changed. Conversion curves based on the kinetic analysis serve as a basis for the design and optimization of a continuously running process for the industrial-scale production of cross-linked cellulose membranes.