Dissolving pulp, also called
dissolving cellulose, is a
bleached wood pulp or
cotton linters that has a high
cellulose content (> 90%). It has special properties including as a high level of brightness and uniform molecular-weight distribution. This pulp is manufactured for uses that require a high chemical purity, and particularly low
hemicellulose content, since the chemically similar hemicellulose can interfere with subsequent processes. Dissolving pulp is so named because it is not made into paper, but dissolved either in a solvent or by derivatization into a homogeneous solution, which makes it completely chemically accessible and removes any remaining fibrous structure. Once dissolved, it can be spun into textile fibers (
viscose or
Lyocell), or chemically reacted to produce derivatized celluloses, such
cellulose triacetate, a plastic-like material formed into fibers or films, or cellulose ethers such as
methyl cellulose, used as a thickener.