Extraction and Characterization of Cellulose Nanowhiskers from Balsa Wood |
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| Authors: | Carolina Lipparelli Morelli José Manoel Marconcini Fabiano Vargas Pereira Rosario Elida Suman Bretas Márcia Cristina Branciforti |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos – SP, Brazil;2. Embrapa Instrumentation, São Carlos – SP, Brazil;3. Federal University of Minas Gerais – UFMG, Belo Horizonte – MG, Brazil;4. University of São Paulo – USP, São Carlos – SP, Brazil |
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| Abstract: | Summary: In this study cellulose nanowhiskers were obtained from balsa wood. For this purpose, fibers of balsa wood were exposed to hydrolysis reactions for lignin and hemicellulose digestion and acquisition of nano-scale cellulose. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results demonstrated that the obtained cellulose nanocrystals had average length and thickness of 176 (±68 nm) and 7.5 (±2.9 nm), respectively. Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and wide angle x-ray diffraction (WAXD) showed that the process for extracting the nanowhiskers digested nearly all the lignin and hemicellulose from the balsa fiber and still preserved the aspect ratio and crystallinity satisfactory enough for future application as nanofillers in polymer nanocomposites. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the onset temperature of thermal degradation of the cellulose nanocrystals (226 °C) was higher than the onset temperature of the balsa fiber (215 °C), allowing its use in molding processes with polymers melts. |
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| Keywords: | balsa wood cellulose crystallinity nanowhiskers renewable resources |
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