Capturing the melting of cellulose using ultra-fast calorimetry combined with nano-/micromocus X-ray scattering

Cellulose is considered as non-melting since thermal degradation precedes melting temperature in the standard processing condition. However, when duration is short enough, physical aphase transition is considered to precede chemcial degradationWe explore the possibility of melting crystalline cellulose samples by combining ultra-fast calorimetry technique and in-situ X-ray scattering in order to understand local fast-occurring processes during phase transition. We will use the in-situ setup on ID13, which combines nanocalorimetry with nano- and microfocus X-ray scattering (the setup was designed and installed on the ID13 beamline during the LTP project SC-3898). The insights on the mechanisms of melting crystalline cellulose will help evaluating its potential for using it as a renewable material in an efficient way.