ABSTRACT
Cellulose acetate is made from renewable resources (cellulose obtained from wood pulp and cotton linter), and has the desirable elements of biodegradability and sustainability. The invention of cellulose acetate is part of the “need factor” scenario of the plastics industry. Celluloid had been invented by the Hyatt brothers, John and Isaiah, to overcome the “environmental concern” and the need to use elephant tusks (ivory) in the making of billiard balls. Celluloid’s propensity for flammability established another need for a safer alternative. Cellulose acetate was invented in 1904 by George W. Miles, an American chemist, as a safer alternative to celluloid [1-3]. Cellulose acetate finds use as a synthetic fiber (rayon) but has very steep competition from other polymeric fibers especially polypropylene, and polyester fibers. Another use area of cellulose acetate is as a transparent film (cellophane) base in photography applications. George Miles’ work is considered an extension and improvement on the earlier works of the French chemist Paul Schützenberger in 1865, and the industrial process patent by Charles Cross and Edward Bevan of Britain in 1894. The works of Schutzenberger, Cross, and Bevan were with cellulose triacetate, an intractable material that is not readily soluble in commonly available solvents. George Miles’ work revealed that partial hydrolysis of cellulose triacetate results in a new material that is soluble in acetone.
