Nitric acid preparation of cellulose from miscanthus as a nitrocellulose precursor

A nitric acid method for the preparation of cellulose from miscanthus is considered. The method consists in successive treatment of the raw material with nitric acid and sodium hydroxide and affords cellulose with properties suitable for the synthesis of cellulose nitrates. The data on the nitrogen weight fraction, the viscosity, and the solubility of cellulose nitrates from miscanthus in the alcohol-ether medium are given. The miscanthus cellulose was nitrated using an industrial sulfuric-nitric acid mixture to yield cellulose nitrate samples with characteristics close to those of colloxylin.