This is the same reason that H202 works,( I believe), as Geez had posted.So go on, how do you believe they both work?
I don't think they're anything alike at all. One is related to solubility and one to oxidative degradation and reaction IMO.
Adding alcohol will provide a better solvent for trapped meth and pfed bases, while still within the basing medium. Which is just wht the Dr ordered.
HydrolysisAlthough cellulose is sufficiently stable toward hydrolysis to allow it to be dyed, finished and laundered, it is susceptible to hydrolysis by acids and, to a lesser extent, by alkalis. Acids attack the acetal linkages, cleaving the 1-4-glycosidic bonds. Since acetals are quite stable toward alkali, hydrolysis at high pH usually requires more vigorous conditions than at low pH. A number of different base-catalyzed reaction pathways are possible and chain cleavage usually results from several concurrent reactions. Cellulose is also degraded by cellulase enzymes.
Oxidative DegradationStrong oxidizing agents and/or vigorous reaction conditions convert cellulose into CO2 and H2O.
Under less vigorous reaction conditions, cellulose is capable of a variety of oxidation reactions, many of which are predictable by analogy to simple alcohols, trans-glycols and acetals.
In general, oxidation of cellulosic hydroxyls forms the expected aldehyde and ketone, and carboxyl groups. However, unlike their simple carbonyl analogs, the oxidation products of cellulose (termed oxycelluloses) are significantly less stable in the presence of alkali. Chain and/or ring cleavage occurs by abstraction of the acid hydrogens a to the carbonyl, followed by b -alkoxyelimination.
Non-flaming combustion (or glowing combustion) of cellulose occurs by direct air-oxidation of cellulose at high temperature and produces water, CO and CO2. Although it is difficult to make pure cellulose burn in a non-flaming mode, contaminants, such as alkali metal salts, promote glowing combustion. Flaming combustion is a gas phase oxidation process and, thus, requires prior pyrolytic or thermo-oxidative degradation of the nonvolatile cellulose chains to form flammable, volatile, organic compounds.
Thermal DegradationA number of different thermal degradation reactions are known to occur with cellulose at different temperatures. Degradation at lower temperatures (as in aging of cellulosic materials) is often predominantly thermo-oxidative and/or hydrolytic. As expected, aging of cellulose is, thus, usually a function of humidity, light, oxygen availability, etc., in addition to temperature. At higher temperatures (>200° C) water is lost, first from that absorbed by the cellulose and then by b -elimination from the cellulose hydroxyls. At still higher temperatures (>250° C), several competing pyrolytic reactions begin to take over. These reactions can be grouped into three basic classifications: the first group occurs at lower temperatures and is similar to the aging reactions. Products are water, CO, CO2 and a carbonaceous char. At higher temperatures, another reaction begins to take over which results in depolymerization of the cellulose chain and formation of anhydroglucose derivatives, volatile organic materials and tars. At still higher temperatures, more-or-less random bond cleavage of cellulose and intermediate decomposition products results in formation of a variety of low molecular weight compounds.
http://www.fibersource.com/f-tutor/cellulose.htm