Is Nitrocellulose natural? NOI 0.61

Q: Is Nitrocellulose natural?

Nitrocellulose has a Natural Origin Index (NOI) of 0.61 (scale 0–1) per ISO 16128. The cellulose backbone from cotton or wood pulp is natural, but the nitrate ester groups trace to industrially fixed nitrogen, treated as non-natural here. An NOI of 0.61 means 61% of its molecular mass is traceable to a natural, renewable source.

How we scored it

Cellulose repeat unit (162 Da, natural) at typical DS 2.2 nitration: backbone minus 2.2 H (160 Da, natural) + 2.2 nitrate groups (99 Da, synthetic) = 261 Da; 160/261 ≈ 0.61.

What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

Nitrocellulose is made by nitrating cellulose, derived from cotton linters or wood pulp, using nitric and sulfuric acid. The nitrate groups remaining in the final polymer trace to industrially produced nitric acid rather than a natural mineral.

In plain English

A film-forming ingredient used in nail polish to create a hard, glossy coating. It starts from natural plant cellulose, cotton or wood pulp, that has been chemically treated with nitric acid to change its properties.

CosIng definition: Nitrocellulose is a cellulose derivative that conforms generally to the formula

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References

1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
2NITROCELLULOSE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
3NITROCELLULOSE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=NITROCELLULOSE