Cellulose (7% water) was thoroughly dispersed in various ionic liquids (IL) and the turbidity of the mixture was investigated to distinguish real dissolution from fine dispersion. The dissolving ability of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIMCl know cellulose solvent) and 11 other commercial IL (not reported as cellulose solvents) was studied. From the latter, only 1,3-dimethylimidazolium dimethylphosphate (DMIMDMP) could dissolve cellulose. The influence of water content on the real dissolution of cellulose in these two IL was investigated. The maximum theoretical amount of dissolved anhydrous cellulose in the IL was determined by extrapolation methodology at different temperatures. For cellulose in BMIMCl, it was 8.75 g/100 g of IL at 95°C. DMIMDMP could achieve real cellulose dissolution only in a practically anhydrous system (2.3 g/100 g of IL at 30°C) but dissolution was physically limited by high viscosity.

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The Morgantown Energy Research Center of ERDA is studying fouling and slagging of pulverized coal fired boiler tubes resulting from mineral matter contained in the coal. The research is dependent on the development and application of reliable analytical techniques which can be applied to the coal and ash products to determine the mineral interactions responsible for fouling and slagging. X-ray powder diffraction is one of the techniques used to characterize the feed coals and their combustion products. A summary of the methods and techniques applied at MERC is the subject of this paper.