Trimethylsilyl cellulose as precursor to regenerated cellulose fiber

Trimethylsilyl cellulose (TMSC) has been found to melt at 320–340°C in the absence of oxygen. When TMSC is prepared from chemical cellulose, using hexamethyldisilazane and a catalytic amount of chlorotrimethylsilane/pyridine in dimethylformamide, a thermoplastic material is obtained which may be melt spun into a fiber. This fiber, when treated with mild aqueous acid, yields regenerated cellulose plus hexamethyldisiloxane. The hexamethyldisiloxane can be converted back to hexamethyldisilazane by known chemistry. The fiber properties of the regenerated cellulose were found to be comparable to commercially available rayons. X-Ray diffraction analyses of the cellulose suggest formation of an unusual polymorphic form.