Abstract: The ability of absorbing liquid can be improved greatly as introducing carboxymethyl group into fiber structure. Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) hydrophilic gauze of different substitution degrees (DS) were prepared by controlling the amount of chloroactic acid (MCA). The moisture absorption capacity and kinetic of sample with different DS were analyzed. The results indicated that the optimized product had a large degree of substitution (DS) of 43.10% as nMCA: nAGU=2:1.The moisture absorption capacity of samples increased while DS values increased. Moisture absorption rate and the equilibrium adsorption amount of samples with DS 43.10% at RH=81% were 18% and 182.39 mg/g , respectively. Kinetic analysis of absorption showed that the second-order model of adsorption kinetic equation could characterize the absorption process well, as the relation coefficient was higher than 0.999. The calculated values of equilibrium moisture content agree well with the experimental values.

Key words: carboxymethyl cellulose, absorbency, absorbent kinetics, substitution degree