This method describes a procedure for determining the alpha-cellulose in paper. Alpha-cellulose is empirically defined as the fraction that can be filtered out of a mixture consisting of the fibrous material and sodium hydroxide solution (7.3%) of maximum dissolving power, after the fibers have previously been swollen with sodium hydroxide solution (17.5%).
This method is applicable to and is intended primarily for papers made from rags or chemical wood fibers. It is not suitable for papers containing large amounts of lignin such as newsprint.
