Mass treatment of cellulosic materials

Claim 1

A process for deacidifying cellulosic materials comprising contacting the cellulosic material with a hydrocarbon or halocarbon solution or mixtures thereof containing an effective deacidifying amount of a composition selected from the group consisting of: (A) a substituted metal alkoxide having the formula X.sub.y M.sup.a (OR).sub.a--y.(R.sup.1 OH).sub.x wherein: (I) --OR is a group selected from 2-alkoxyalkoxy- and ω-alkoxypolyalkoxy- groups of the formula ##STR13## wherein R 2 is selected from H and --CH 3 and R 3 is selected from alkyl groups of 1 to 18 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl groups of 3 to 18 carbon atoms and aryl, arylalkyl and alkylaryl groups of 6 to 18 carbon atoms and n is a value of 1 to 20; (II) X-- is a group selected from (a) 2-dialkylaminoalkoxy- and ω-dialkylaminopolyalkoxy groups of the formula ##STR14## wherein R 2 is selected from hydrogen and methyl, R 3 is selected from alkyl groups of 1 to 18 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl groups of 3 to 18 carbon atoms and aryl, arylalkyl and alkylaryl groups of 6 to 18 carbon atoms and n is a value of 1 to 20; (b) a halogen selected from chlorine and bromine; (c) an organic group --R 4 wherein R 4 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl groups containing 1 to 18 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl groups containing 3 to 18 carbon atoms and aryl, arylalkyl and alkylaryl groups containing 6 to 18 carbon atoms; (d) an acyloxy group of the formula [--O(O)CR 4 ] wherein R 4 has the hereintobefore ascribed meaning; (e) ω-alkoxypolyalkoxy- groups of the formula ##STR15## wherein R 2 , R 3 and n have the herintobefore ascribed meanings; (f) an alkoxy group --OR 4 wherein R 4 has the hereintobefore ascribed meanings; (III) M is a metal selected from groups IIa and IIb of the Periodic Table and aluminum and mixtures thereof; (IV) R 1 OH is a compound in which R 1 O is a group selected from (e) alkoxy groups of the formula R 4 O wherein R 4 has the hereintobefore ascribed meanings; (f) 2-alkoxyalkoxy- and ω-alkoxypolyalkoxy- groups of the formula ##STR16## wherein R 2 , R 3 and n have the hereintobefore ascribed meanings; (g) 2-dialkylaminoalkoxy- and ω-dialkylaminopolyalkoxy groups of the formula ##STR17## (V) a is the valence of the metal M; (VI) y has a value between zero and one; and (VII) x has a value of zero to two; (B) a carbonated substituted metal alkoxide having the formula X.sub.y M.sup.a (OR).sub.a--y.(R.sup.1 OH).sub.x in which either X y or --OR is carbonated wherein R 1 OH, M, a, y and x have the hereintobefore ascribed meanings; and (I) --OR is a group selected from 2-alkoxyalkoxy-and ω-alkoxypolyalkoxy- groups of the formula ##STR18## wherein R 2 is selected from H and --CH 3 and selected from alkyl groups of 1 to 18 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl groups of 3 to 18 carbon atoms and aryl, arylalkyl and alkylaryl groups of 6 to 18 carbon atoms and n is a value of 1 to 20; and (II) X-- is a group selected from (a) 2-dialkylaminoalkoxy- and ω-dialkylaminopolyalkoxy groups of the formula ##STR19## #wherein R 2 is selected from hydrogen and methyl, R 3 is selected from alkyl groups of 1 to 18 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl groups of 3 to 18 carbon atoms and aryl, arylalkyl and alkylaryl groups of 6 to 18 carbon atoms and n is a value of 1 to 20; (b) an ω-alkoxypolyalkoxy- group of the formula ##STR20## wherein R 2 , R 3 and n have the hereintobefore ascribed meanings; and, (c) an alkoxy group --OR 4 wherein R 4 has the hereintobefore ascribed meaning (C) and mixtures of (A) and (B).