Physico-chemical characterization of a cellulosic fraction from sugar beet pulp

The residue of sugar beet pulp from which pectin and alkaline soluble polysaccharides have been removed by microwave assisted extraction or conventional heat was treated with sodium monochloroacetate under alkaline pH to convert the residual cellulose present to carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC). Weight average molar masses ranged from about 96 to 220 x 10(3) Daltons, weight average intrinsic viscosity from 1.9 to 4.1 dL/g and degree of substitution from 1.38 to 0.59. HPSEC with online molar mass detectors and Atomic Force Microscopy revealed that CMC was comprised of aggregated linear moieties in contact with spherical bodies. The linear portion was a mixture of rods and segmented rods. Some of the rods had long branches.