Analytical method for determining the concentration of oxidized nanofibrillar cellulose in a sample

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for determining carbonyl ratio and/or concentration of oxidized nanofibrillar cellulose in a sample. In accordance with the invention oxidized nanofibrillar cellulose comprised in the sample is enzymatically hydrolyzed into oxidized cellobioses which are specific markers to oxidized nanofibrillar cellulose. The cellobioses may be then analyzed and quantified to reveal the amount of oxidized nanofibrillar cellulose in the sample. A method for determining the concentration of oxidized nanofibrillar cellulose in a sample comprises steps of providing an analytical sample of material comprising oxidized nanofibrillar cellulose; hydrolyzing the analytical sample to breakdown products of oxidized nanofibrillar cellulose in presence of one or more enzymes; subjecting the breakdown products to a separation analysis to reveal the relative amounts of the breakdown products; and determining the concentration of oxidized nanofibrillar cellu-lose.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.