Methylcellulose production in industries was done under high pressure by methylating alkali cellulose with chloromethane In the mercerization, the quantity of aqueous sodium hydroxide NaOH used was between 35 and 60 The ratio of molar fraction of NaOH to anhydrous glucose unit must be 3 4 to get water soluble ethers with degree of substitution between 1 4 and 2 0 The viscosity of alkali cellulose was familiar with or without catalysis Excess of chloromethane depends on the amount of alkali used By product of methanol and dimethyl ether is formed when chloromethane is reacting with water Alkali can be removed from crude methylcellulose by the process of acid neutralization Methylcellulose can be manufactured under mild pressure in a batch reactor with gaseous chloromethane Brandt 1986 Replace of hydrogen with methyl group by Alkali celluloses with the chloromethane is done at 60 100ºC for several hours During this process a few reagents evaporate with unpredictable by products which are isolated Brandt 1986 Methylcellulose can also be manufactured by one another methylation method under higher pressure in a constant reactor with liquid chloromethane Typically methylation was obtained in a reaction time with a reduction of 1 hour with or without an inert organic liquid
