Molecular-weight distribution of cellulose after ripening

As a result of studying ripening of alkali cellulose by the Monte Carlo method, it was found that the following model most closely fits the experimental data on the MWD of alkali cellulose after ripening: alkali cellulose is ripened by the parallel occurrence of chance oxidative degradation (in amorphous regions) and depolymerization from the chain end with significant predominance of the number of depolymerization events; the shape of the MWD curve after ripening of alkali cellulose is determined by the parallel occurrence of depolymerization from the chain end and chance degradation; chance degradation in amorphous regions of the cellulose accelerates depolymerization from the chain end due to an increase in the number of chain ends.