Linen fibers comprising O-alkylated cellulose and process for the preparation thereof

The invention concerns an O-alkylated cellulose I of formula I <CHEM> wherein n is an integer from 100 to 100,000 R is a hydrogen, a group of formula AX in which A is a bivalent bridging radical comprising from 1 to 100 carbon atoms and, optionally, from 1 to 50 heteroatoms selected among halogens, oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur, boron, phosphorus and silicon, and X is a hydrogen, a functional group selected among vinyl, aziridino, epoxy, glycidyl, halo, acyloxy, alkylsulphonate, arylsulphonate, trialkylsiloxy, sulphate, phosphate, ethynyl, amino, mono-, di- amino, trialkylammonium, carboxy, sulphonic, phosphonic, formyl, alkylsulphonylamino, arylsulphonylamino, aminosulphonyl, acylamino, imino, mono-, di(carboxyalkyl)imino, guanidino, nitro, cyano, alkoxycarbonyl, aminocarbonyl, thioureido, mercapto, aminomethylphosphonic, alkylthio groups or an O-cellulose I radical derived from formula I; provided that AX groups are present in a AX/n ratio from 0.0001 to 3. Also provided is a process for the preparation of said O-alkylated celluloses.