Sulfuric acid hydrolysis of cellulose is a well-known process
used to remove amorphous regions. However, it significantly decreases
the thermal stability of cellulose whiskers. Since typical
processing temperatures for thermoplastics rise above 200 C, the
thermal stability of these crystals is a key factor in order for them
to be used as effective reinforcing materials (Tadmor & Gogos,
1979). The thermal stability can be recovered by partly neutralizing
the sulfuric acid groups with strong bases such as sodium
hydroxide (Roman & Winter, 2004).