Chemical Modification of Xylan

Abstract

Our study is part of the general context of valuing by-products from the wood industry, which consists of the chemical modification of xylan by synthesis of branched copolymers such as xylan-g-PLLA. The used xylan is extracted from chestnut and 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) is the catalyst. In fact, the synthesis of xylan-graft-poly (L-lactide) copolymer starting from natural and renewable resource products xylan and L-lactide is performed under different conditions. The results of the grafting reaction are unfavorable due to longer time because of depolymerization reactions. Another result is the solubility and insolubility of the copolymers synthesized in water. This first result indicates that there is a change in the properties of xylan. Moreover, the solubility of the xylan-g-PLLA copolymers is different from one study to another. Grafting of PLLA onto xylan was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and 1HNMR analyzes. The dynamic mechanical analysis showed that the xylan-g-PLLA plastic materials have interesting thermomechanical properties.