Industrial Agricultural Products Center
Biopolymers, Biochemicals, Biofuels, Biopower
Microcrystalline cellulose has many applications in pharmaceuticals, foods, papers and structural composites. Microcrystalline cellulose is a naturally derived stabilizer, texturizing agent, and fat replacer. It is used extensively in reduced-fat salad dressings, numerous dairy products including cheese, frozen desserts and whipped toppings, and bakery products. Microcrystalline cellulose is made up of a chain of about 250 glucose molecules in the form of a microcrystal. In nature, several microcrystals are hinged together and surrounded by amorphous cellulose to form a cellulose microfibril. If the amorphous cellulose is removed, the resultant product is called level off DP (degree of polymerization) microcrystalline cellulose.
Microcrystalline cellulose is a highly crystalline particulate cellulose consisting primarily of crystallite aggregates obtained by removing amorphous (fibrous cellulose) regions of a purified cellulose source material by hydrolytic degradation, typically with a strong mineral acid such as hydrogen chloride. The acid hydrolysis process produces a microcrystalline cellulose of predominantly coarse particulate aggregates, typically having a mean size range of about 15 to 40 microns.
The Industrial Agricultural Products Center at the University of Nebraska has a patented process for producing microcrystalline cellulose by reactive extrusion, using a continuous process that is environmentally friendly. (U.C. Patent # 6,228,213 issued May 8, 2001.)
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