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Glite Dictionary
cellulose ester

cellulose ester

6.8
A material people make by treating a plant material called cellulose with acid and use for plastics, films, and fibers
  • noun
  • /ˈsɛl.jə.loʊs ˈɛs.tɚ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : éster de celulosa
  • Some photographic films are made with cellulose ester bases instead of traditional cellulose nitrate.

Examples

  • The laboratory synthesized a new type of cellulose ester for use in biodegradable plastics.

  • Adding a cellulose ester can improve the strength and flexibility of coatings.

  • The new packaging uses cellulose ester for better sustainability.

  • Many manufacturers prefer cellulose esters in their products.

  • The laboratory synthesized a new type of cellulose ester for use in biodegradable plastics.

  • Some photographic films are made with cellulose ester bases instead of traditional cellulose nitrate.

  • Adding a cellulose ester can improve the strength and flexibility of coatings.

Surface Forms

cellulose ester singular
cellulose esters plural

Morphology

cellulose + ester

The meaning is directly compositional: 'cellulose' (a plant polymer) combined with 'ester' (an organic compound formed from acid and alcohol) yields an ester derived from cellulose. This noun+noun chemical naming pattern is standard and cross-linguistically common, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The noun cellulose ester comes from two parts: cellulose, the natural fiber in plants like wood or cotton, and ester, a chemical change added to that fiber. So a cellulose ester is plant fiber that has been changed by an ester to make it stronger or more like 'plastic', which is why we use it for films, coatings, and fibers today.