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Nitrocellulose: Production, Properties, and Applications in Coatings and Lacquers
Nitrocellulose (also called cellulose nitrate or, in its highly nitrated form, guncotton) is a nitrated derivative of cellulose produced by reacting purified cellulose with a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acids. The reaction introduces nitrate ester groups onto the glucose units of the cellulose chain, dramatically changing the material’s properties: nitrocellulose is a fast-drying, film-forming polymer that is highly flammable and—depending on its degree of nitration—ranges from a soluble, lacquer-forming resin to an energetic, explosive solid. Its solubility in organic solvents such as acetone, ethyl acetate or a mixture of ether and alcohol (collodion) makes it especially useful where rapid solvent evaporation and glossy, durable films are required.