Preparation of hydrophobic nanocellulose and hydrophobic nanocellulose intermediate

The present invention provides a) providing a cellulose-containing material containing less than 20% by weight of water; b) contacting the cellulose-containing material with oxalic acid dihydrate and heating above the melting point of oxalic acid dihydrate to obtain cellulose oxalate; c) washing the mixture produced in step b); d) preparing a suspension comprising the product produced in step c); And e) recovering the hydrophobized nanocellulose from the suspension. In addition， the present invention relates to a method for preparing a hydrophobic nanocellulose intermediate comprising steps a) -c) described above. The method disclosed in the present invention is fast， inexpensive， simple and straightforward. Pulp can be used as a raw material. The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing hydrophobized nano- cellulose comprising the steps of: a) providing a cellulose-containing material wherein the cellulose-containing material contains less than 20 wt.% water， b) con- tacting the cellulose-containing material with oxalic acid dihydrate， and heating above the melting point of the oxalic acid dihydrate， to obtain cellulose oxalates， c) washing the mixture， d) preparing a suspension comprising the material from step c) and e) recovering hydrophobized nanocellulose from the suspension. The pre- sent invention relates also to a method of manufacturing hydrophobized nanocellu- lose intermediate which comprises the above described steps a)-c). The methods disclosed in the present invention are quick， inexpensive， simple， and direct. Pulp can be used as raw material. The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing hydrophobized nano- cellulose comprising the steps of: a) providing a cellulose-containing material wherein the cellulose-containing material contains less than 20 wt.% water， b) con- tacting the cellulose-containing material with oxalic acid dihydrate， and heating above the melting point of the oxalic acid dihydrate， to obtain cellulose oxalates， c) washing the mixture， d) preparing a suspension comprising the material from step c) and e) recovering hydrophobized nanocellulose from the suspension. The pre- sent invention relates also to a method of manufacturing hydrophobized nanocellu- lose intermediate which comprises the above described steps a)-c). The methods disclosed in the present invention are quick， inexpensive， simple， and direct. Pulp can be used as raw material.