Method of producing a carboxyalkylated nfc product, a carboxyalkylated nfc product and use thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of producing a nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC), the nanofibrillated cellulose product obtained and the use of the nanofibrillated cellulose product. The method comprises the steps of: Providing cellulosic fibres dispersed in water; Solvent-exchanging water in the fibres to an organic solvent, such as alcohol, suitably ethanol or isopropanol; Impregnating the fibres with a solution comprising a halogenated aliphatic acid having more than 2 carbon atoms; Heat-treating the impregnated fibres at a temperature of more than 50° C. in an alkaline solution comprising an organic solvent, which solution is optionally aqueous, to carboxyalkylatethe fibres; Washing the fibres; Converting the carboxyl groups their alkali metal counter-ion form; Optionally filtering the fibres; Dispersing the fibres in water; Mechanically disintegrating the fibres to provide the NFC product.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.