Cellulose is a polymer raw material used for two general purposes. For many centuries it has served mankind as a construction
material, mainly in the form of intact wood and textile fibers such as cotton or flax, or in the form of paper and board. On the other
hand, cellulose is a versatile starting material for chemical conversions, aiming at the production of artificial, cellulose-based
threads and films as well as a variety of stable cellulose derivatives used in many areas of industry and domestic life (Klemm
et al., 1998a). Empirical knowledge of dying cellulose fibers, of burning wood, of preparing charcoal, and of the biodegradation of
cellulose by rotting was acquired already thousands of years ago.