Process for producing cellulose derivative and cellulose derivative

Abstract

A process for producing a cellulose derivative, comprising: a first step including reacting a cellulose and a first reactant comprising a long-chain reactant for reacting with a hydroxy group of the cellulose to introduce a long-chain organic group having 5 or more carbon atoms, in a solid-liquid heterogeneous system, to form a cellulose derivative in a swollen state, the cellulose derivative having the long-chain organic group having 5 or more carbon atoms introduced therein and having a part of hydroxy groups of the cellulose remained, and performing solid-liquid separation to obtain the cellulose derivative as an intermediate; and a second step including reacting the intermediate cellulose derivative and a second reactant comprising a short-chain reactant for reacting with a remaining hydroxy group of the intermediate cellulose derivative to introduce a short-chain organic group having 4 or less carbon atoms to form a final cellulose derivative having the short-chain organic group having 4 or less carbon atoms introduced therein.

1 . A cellulose derivative comprising a long-chain organic group having 5 or more carbon atoms and at least one short-chain organic group having 4 or less carbon atoms, the long-chain organic group and the short-chain organic group being introduced therein by use of hydroxy groups of a cellulose,
 wherein the cellulose derivative contains a crystal structure derived from a cellulose derivative portion to which the short-chain organic group having 4 or less carbon atoms is linked,   wherein the crystal structure comprises a crystal region of the cellulose acylated with a short-chain acyl group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms as the short-chain organic group, the short-chain organic group being introduced by use of a hydroxy group of the cellulose to form an ester, and   wherein the crystal region contains only the cellulose acylated with the short-chain acyl group.   
     
     
         2 . The cellulose derivative according to  claim 1 , wherein an average number of hydroxy groups per glucose unit is less than 1.7. 
     
     
         3 . The cellulose derivative according to  claim 1 , wherein an average number of hydroxy groups per glucose unit is less than 1.2. 
     
     
         4 . The cellulose derivative according to  claim 1 , wherein an average number of the short-chain organic groups introduced per glucose unit is 1.3 to 2.7. 
     
     
         5 . The cellulose derivative according to  claim 1 , wherein an average number of the long-chain organic groups introduced per glucose unit is 0.1 to 1.0. 
     
     
         6 . The cellulose derivative according to  claim 1 , wherein the short-chain organic group includes at least one of an acetyl group and a propionyl group. 
     
     
         7 . The cellulose derivative according to  claim 1 , wherein the short-chain organic group is an acetyl group. 
     
     
         8 . The cellulose derivative according to  claim 1 , wherein the long-chain organic group includes a long-chain organic group having 7 to 48 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         9 . The cellulose derivative according to  claim 1 , wherein the long-chain organic group comprises a cardanol moiety or a hydrogenated cardanol moiety. 
     
     
         10 . A cellulose derivative comprising a long-chain organic group having 5 or more carbon atoms and at least one short-chain organic group having 4 or less carbon atoms, the long-chain organic group and the short-chain organic group being introduced therein by use of hydroxy groups of a cellulose,
 wherein the cellulose derivative contains a crystal structure derived from a cellulose derivative portion to which the short-chain organic group having 4 or less carbon atoms is linked,   the crystal structure comprises a crystal region of the cellulose acylated with a short-chain acyl group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms as the short-chain organic group, the short-chain organic group being introduced by use of a hydroxy group of the cellulose to form an ester,   the crystal region contains only the cellulose acylated with the short-chain acyl group,   an average number of hydroxy groups per glucose unit is less than 1.7,   an average number of the short-chain organic groups introduced per glucose unit is 1.3 to 2.7,   an average number of the long-chain organic groups introduced per glucose unit is 0.1 to 1.0,   the short-chain organic group includes at least one of an acetyl group and a propionyl group, and   the long-chain organic group includes a long-chain organic group having 7 to 48 carbon atoms, a cardanol moiety or a hydrogenated cardanol moiety.   
     
     
         11 . The cellulose derivative according to  claim 10 , wherein an average number of hydroxy groups per glucose unit is less than 1.2. 
     
     
         12 . The cellulose derivative according to  claim 10 , wherein the short-chain organic group is an acetyl group. 
     
     
         13 . A molding resin composition comprising the cellulose derivative according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . A molding resin composition comprising the cellulose derivative according to  claim 10 .