Rapid determination of small amounts of sulphate in cellulose nitrate by a water-digestion procedure

Abstract

Oxidative decomposition of cellulose nitrate into a completely water-soluble material is accomplished by an aqueous digestion method that involves boiling it with water under pressure. Sulphate is quantitatively liberated, and most of the nitrate groups are decomposed, thus minimising errors from co-precipitation of the nitrate ions. The digests, which are completely free from inorganic additions, allow rapid sulphate determination by direct titrimetric procedures.