System and method for producing microcrystalline cellulose

A method for preparing microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) comprising:

• acid hydrolysis of a pulp mixture in at least one reactor which generates a hydrolyzed process mixture, and
• mixing the hydrolyzed process mixture to form the MCC in the at least one reactor during the acid hydrolysis,
• wherein the mixing is performed with an energy dissipation in a range of 1.0×106 Watts per cubic meter (W/m3) to 15.0×106 W/m3,
• wherein a period of the mixing is in a range of 5 seconds (s) to 180 s, and
• wherein the MCC has a d-ratio no greater than 6.0.

A method comprising:

• treating pulp with acid hydrolysis in in at least one reactor to form a hydrolyzed pulp, and
• mixing the pulp during or after the treating to form a microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), wherein the mixing is performed with an energy dissipation in a range of 1.0×106 W/m3 to 15.0×106 watts per cubic meter (W/m3) and the mixing is performed in a range of 5 seconds(s) to 180 s,
• wherein the MCC has a d-ratio ((d90−d10)/d50) of no greater than 6.0,
• where d90 is a first micrometer size at which 90% of particles in the MCC are greater than, d10 is a second micrometer size at which 10% of the particles in the MCC are greater than, and d50 is a third micrometer size at which 50% of the particles in the MCC are greater than.