Cellulose nanofibril (CNF) reinforced starch insulating foams

In this study, biodegradable foams were produced using cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and starch (S). The availability of high volumes of CNFs at lower costs is rapidly progressing with advances in pilot-scale and commercial facilities. The foams were produced using a freeze-drying process with CNF/S water suspensions ranging from 1 to 7.5 wt% solids content. Microscopic evaluation showed that the foams have a microcellular structure and that the foam walls are covered with CNF’s. The CNF’s had diameters ranging from 30 to 100 nm. Pore sizes within the foam walls ranged from 20 to 100 nm. The materials’ densities ranging from 0.012 to 0.082 g/cm³ with corresponding porosities between 93.46 and 99.10 %. Thermal conductivity ranged from 0.041 to 0.054 W/m-K. The mechanical performance of the foams produced from the starch control was extremely low and the material was very friable. The addition of CNF’s to starch was required to produce foams, which exhibited structural integrity. The mechanical properties of materials were positively correlated with solids content and CNF/S ratios. The mechanical and thermal properties for the foams produced in this study appear promising for applications such as insulation and packaging.     

Properties of poly(acrylamide)/TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibril composite films

Self-standing composite films consisting of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl-oxidized cellulose nanofibril (TOCN) and anionic poly(acrylamide) (PAM) in various weight ratios were prepared by casting and drying of homogeneous mixtures of aqueous TOCN dispersion and PAM solution. PAM/TOCN composite films consisting of 25 % PAM and 75 % TOCN had clearly higher Young’s modulus (13.9 GPa) and tensile strength (266 MPa) than 100 % TOCN film (10.8 GPa and 223 MPa, respectively) or 100 % PAM film (4.9 GPa and 78 MPa, respectively), showing that PAM molecules have mechanical reinforcement ability in TOCN matrix. Some attractive interactions are likely formed between TOCN element surfaces and PAM molecules. In contrast, no such mechanical improvements were observed for poly(vinyl alcohol)/TOCN or oxidized starch/TOCN composite films prepared as references. Moreover, the mechanical properties of the PAM/TOCN composite films were further improved by controlling molecular mass and branching degree of the PAM. The high optical transparency and low coefficient of thermal expansion of the 100 % TOCN film were mostly maintained in the TOCN composite film containing 25 % PAM.     

Resin impregnation of cellulose nanofibril films facilitated by water swelling

Flexible composite films were produced by impregnating aqueous phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin into water-swollen cellulose nanofibril (CNF) films. CNF films were prepared using a pressurized filtration method in combination with freeze drying. The freeze-dried films were swollen with water then impregnated with PF resin by soaking in aqueous resin solutions of varying concentrations. Small amounts of PF slightly enhanced the tensile properties of CNF films. The formulation with the best mechanical properties was CNF/PF films with 8 wt % resin exhibiting tensile stress and toughness of 248 MPa and 26 MJ/m³, respectively. Resin concentrations higher than about 8 % resulted in composites with decreased tensile properties as compared to neat CNF films. The wet strength of the composite films was significantly higher than that of the neat CNF films. The resulting composites showed greater resistance to moisture absorption accompanied by reduced thickness swelling when soaked in water as compared to neat CNF films. The composites also showed decreased oxygen permeability at low humidity compared to neat films, but the composites did not show improved barrier properties at high humidity.     

Controlling the water content of never dried and reswollen bacterial cellulose by the addition of water-soluble polymers to the culture medium

For the modification of medically useful biomaterials from bacterially synthesized cellulose, fleeces of Acetobacter xylinum have been produced in the presence of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0% (m/v) carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), methylcellulose (MC), and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), respectively, in the Hestrin-Schramm culture medium. The incorporation of the water-soluble polymers into cellulose and their influence on the structure, crystal modifications, and material properties are described. With IR and solid-state ¹³C NMR spectroscopy of the fleeces, the presence of the cellulose ethers and an increase in the amorphous parts of the cellulose modifications (NMR results) have been detected. The incorporation is represented by a higher product yield, too. As demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy, a porelike cellulose network structure forms in the presence of CMC and MC. This modified structure increases the water retention ability (expressed as the water content), the ion absorption capacity, and the remaining nitrogen-containing residues from the culture medium or bacteria cells. The water content of bacterial cellulose (BC) in the never dried state and the freeze-dried, reswollen state can be controlled by the CMC concentration in the culture solution. The freeze-dried, reswollen BC-CMC (2.0%) contains 96% water after centrifugation, whereas standard BC has only 73%. About 98% water is included in a BC-MC composite in the wet state, and about 93% is included in the reswollen state synthesized in the presence of 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0% MC. These biomaterial composites can be stored in the dried state and reswollen before use, reaching a higher water absorption than pure, never dried BC. The copper ion capacity of BC-CMC composites increases proportionally with the added amount of CMC. BC-CMC (0.5%) can absorb 3 times more copper ions than original BC. In the case of 0.5 and 1.0% PVA additions to the culture solution, this polymer cannot be detected in the cellulose fleeces after they are washed. Nevertheless the presence of PVA in the culture medium effects a decreased product yield, a retention of nitrogen-containing residues in the material during purification, a reduced water absorption ability, and a slightly higher copper ion capacity in comparison with original BC. The water content of freeze-dried, reswollen BC-PVA (0.5%) is only 62%. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 463–470, 2004     

Effects of carboxyl-group counter-ions on biodegradation behaviors of TEMPO-oxidized cellulose fibers and nanofibril films

The biodegradation behaviors of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical (TEMPO)-oxidized cellulose fibers (TOCs) and TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibril (TOCN) films containing various carboxyl-group counter-ions were studied. Na⁺, H⁺, Ca²⁺, NH₄ ⁺, Cu²⁺, K⁺, and Cs⁺ were introduced into the TOCs or TOCN films, by ion-exchange treatment, as the carboxyl-group counter-ions. TOCs suspended in distilled water were treated with a commercial crude cellulase, and the TOCN films were subjected to soil burial tests. The crude-cellulase-treated products obtained from the TOCs were separated into water/ethanol-insoluble and -soluble fractions, i.e., high- and low-molecular-weight fractions, respectively. The degradation behaviors of the TOCs were evaluated from the weight recovery ratios of the water/ethanol-insoluble fractions and their viscosity-average degrees of polymerization. The results showed that the degradation behaviors of the TOCs were greatly influenced by the counter ion, and the counter-ion order of degradability was Na⁺ ≈ NH₄ ⁺ ≈ K⁺ ≈ Cs⁺ ? Ca²⁺ > H⁺ > Cu²⁺. These degradability differences were influenced by the swelling behavior of the corresponding TOCs in distilled water; the higher the swelling degree of the TOC, the higher the degradation efficiency of the TOC in the reaction with crude cellulase. Similar biodegradation behaviors were observed in soil burial tests for TOCN films containing various carboxyl-group counter-ions in soil burial test; again the counter ion greatly influenced the resultant biodegradability. The biodegradation behaviors of TOCs and TOCN films can therefore be controlled by selecting an appropriate carboxyl-group counter-ion.     

Transparent montmorillonite/cellulose nanofibril nanocomposite films: the influence of exfoliation degree and interfacial interaction

To obtain high performance of nanocomposite films made of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and montmorillonites (MMTs), highly ordered nanostructures and abundant interfacial interactions are of extreme importance, especially for CNF film with high MMT content. Here, we tend to unveil the influence of exfoliation degree of MMTs and their interfacial interactions with CNFs on the properties of ensuing nanocomposite films. Monolayer MMTs (ML-MMTs) prefer to form highly ordered nanostructure during water evaporation induced self-assembly. The obtained nanocomposite film with 30 wt% ML-MMTs exhibits a tensile strength of 132 MPa, a total light transmittance of 90.2% (550 nm), and water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of 41.5 g mm/m² day, better than the film made of original MMTs (O-MMTs) and CNFs (30 MPa strength, 60% transparency, and 78.7 g mm/m² day WVTR). Moreover, the physical properties (153 MPa strength and 20.9 g mm/m² day WVTR) of nanocomposite film can be further enhanced by constructing ionic interactions between the ML-MMT and CNF using 0.5 wt% cationic polyethylenimine (PEI). However, as the amount of PEI continues to increase, its performance will be deteriorated dramatically because of the disordered orientation of ML-MMTs. This work could provide an insight into the fabrication of high performance MMT/CNF nanocomposite film for advanced applications.

Graphical abstract

     

Ionic conductivity enhancement of PVA: carboxymethyl cellulose poly-blend electrolyte films through the doping of NaI salt

Cellulose - In this paper, we report the effect of doping sodium iodide (NaI) salt into a polymer blend matrix of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). Solution...     

A novel orientation technique for semi-rigid polymers. 2. Mechanical properties of cellulose acetate and hydroxypropylcellulose films

The networks of cellulose acetate and hydroxypropylcellulose prepared in the first part of this investigation were studied with regard to their mechanical properties. The quantities of particular interest were increases in tensile modulus and tensile strength obtained by drying the swollen films under strain, both uniaxial and equi-biaxial. These increases or improvements in mechanical properties were determined as a function of polymer concentration during cross-linking, polymer molecular weight, degree of cross-linking, and elongation during drying. In all cases, the improvements increased with increase in elongation during drying, and the largest increases were obtained in the case of the highest molecular weight polymer which had been lightly cross-linked in dilute (isotropic) solutions. The extent of ordering in these systems was gauged approximately by measurements of birefringence, which were correlated with their tensile moduli and tensile strengths.     

Linear rheology of water-soluble reversible neodymium(III) coordination polymers

The rheology of reversible coordination polymer networks in aqueous solution is studied. The polymers are formed by neodymium(III) ions and bifunctional ligands, consisting of two pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylate groups connected at the 4-positions by an ethylene oxide spacer. Neodymium(III) ions can bind three of these terdendate ligand groups. At high concentrations, the polymer networks yield viscoelastic materials, which can be described with the Maxwell model. The scaling of the elastic modulus, relaxation time, and zero-shear viscosity with concentration are in good agreement with the predictions of Cates' model that describes the dynamics of linear equilibrium polymers. This indicates that the networks have only few cross-links and can be described as linear equilibrium polymers. The gels are also thermo-reversible. At high temperatures, fast relaxation was found, resulting in liquidlike behavior. Upon cooling, the viscoelastic properties returned immediately. From the temperature dependence of the relaxation time, an activation energy of 49 kJ/mol was determined for the breaking and reptation of the polymers.     

Gas-phase esterification of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) films

The barrier properties of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) films were improved by heterogeneous gas-phase esterification using various combinations of trifluoroacetic acid anhydride, acetic acid and acetic anhydride. The temperature, reagent ratio and reaction time were varied in the experimental design. The effects of two different purification procedures on the barrier properties of esterified MFC films were investigated. Washing with water did not affect the barrier properties compared to those of the films that were not washed, while the use of diethyl ether led to improved barrier properties as measured by the contact angle (CA) of water. The chemical composition of the modified films was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Alterations in hydrophobicity and oxygen permeability were evaluated using dynamic CA and oxygen transmission rate measurements, respectively.     

Properties of solutions and films of blends of water-soluble cellulose ethers with poviargol

Rheological properties of moderately concentrated aqueous solutions of blends of methyl cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose with Poviargol antiseptic (nanodispersed silver stabilized with polyvinylpyrrolidone) were studied. Composite films were prepared from solutions of the polymer blends, and the physicomechanical and thermomechanical properties of the films were examined. The region of thermodynamic compatibility of cellulose ethers with Poviargol was determined by the method based on sorption of solvent vapor.     

Properties of solutions and films of blends of water-soluble cellulose ethers with Zosterin

Viscosity characteristics of dilute and moderately concentrated solutions of blends of methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, and carboxymethyl cellulose with Zosterin were studied. Composite films were prepared from solutions of the polymer blends; their IR spectra and physicomechanical and thermomechanical properties were studied. The region of thermodynamic compatibility of cellulose ethers with Zosterin was determined by solvent vapor sorption.     

Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC): pullulan bionanocomposite films

The aim of this work was to develop and characterize microfibrillated cellulose (MFC)/pullulan bionanocomposites. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggested that the affinity between the two polymers resulted in new hydrogen bonding of the nanocomposite materials compared to pristine pullulan. At the same time, an increase in crystallinity was observed proportional to the amount of MFC used, as shown by the X-ray analyses. Accordingly, final films showed improved mechanical properties proportionally to the filler loading, with impressive elastic modulus and tensile strength of ~4.50 GPa and ~60 MPa, respectively, for the sample containing 10 % MFC. However, as demonstrated by the moisture sorption isotherms, the addition of MFC did not help reduce the amount of water adsorbed by the samples. In addition, the oxygen and water vapor permeability data clearly showed that final films still suffered high relative humidity values, whereas their barrier performance toward oxygen was excellent under dry conditions, with O₂ permeability coefficients (P′O ₂) comparable with those of common high barrier films/coatings. Finally, while the nanocomposites in the form of films had high haze values (from 23 to 40 %), the same nanocomposites in the form of coatings were decidedly more transparent, which suggests that their use as thin layers could be more suitable when the “see-through” capability must be preserved, for example in food packaging applications.     

The fabrication of affinity improved nanocomposites with plasma treated polypropylene (PP) and alkaline cellulose nanofiber (CNF) suspension

Polypropylene (PP) nanocomposites containing cellulose nanomaterials have been studied for the last decade, but are still challenging due to the lack of affinity between PP and cellulose nanofiber (CNF), and the uneven dispersion of CNF in the PP matrix. In order to achieve the uniform dispersion of CNF in the PP matrix and improve affinity between PP and CNF, plasma-treated PP/aCNF nanocomposites were prepared by adding an alkaline CNF (aCNF) suspension to the nitrogen (N₂) and oxygen (O₂) plasma-treated PP. Based on the results of various analyses, the N₂ plasma-treated PP (npPP)/aCNF nanocomposite showed the best performance in tensile and oxygen barrier properties. The npPP/aCNF nanocomposite increased 32.8 and 26.3% in yield stress and Young's modulus, respectively, compared with neat PP, also in O₂ permeability, it showed a value of 94.31 cc-mm/m²-day-atm and showed a statistically significant decrease in contrast to neat PP. The npPP/aCNF nanocomposite has a great feasibility to be applied in various barrier packaging applications.     

Design of antibacterial cellulose nanofibril film by the incorporation of guanidine-attached lignin nanoparticles

Cellulose - Cellulose nanofibril (CNF) films have attracted great attention in food packaging application due to their excellent mechanical strength and oxygen barrier properties. If antibacterial...