Hemicellulose-Based Films Reinforced with Unmodified and Cationically Modified Nanocrystalline Cellulose

• Published in: Journal of polymers and the environment Vol. 26; no. 4; pp. 1625 - 1634
• Main Authors: Huang, Biaobiao, Tang, Yanjun, Pei, Qinqin, Zhang, Kaijie, Liu, Dongdong, Zhang, Xueming
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.04.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biodegradability; Biodegradation; Cations; Cellulose; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Comparative studies; Electron microscopy; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Hemicellulose; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Materials Science; Mechanical properties; Modulus of elasticity; Nanocrystals; Nanomaterials; Original Paper; Polymer Sciences; Rheological properties; Scanning electron microscopy; Sorbitol; Stability analysis; Tensile stress; Thermal stability; Thickening; Mechanical properties; Nanocrystalline cellulose; Rheological behavior; Hemicellulose-based films; Cationic modification
• ISSN: 1566-2543; 1572-8919; 1572-8900
• DOI: 10.1007/s10924-017-1075-5

Hemicellulose-based composites have become promising candidates for eco-friendly packaging applications because of their biodegradability and cost-effectiveness. However, the inherently poor mechanical properties of hemicellulose-based composites largely hinder their potential for targeted application. Fortunately, nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC), an eye-catching nanomaterial, may offer opportunities for addressing the above issue due to its outstanding mechanical properties and environmental friendliness. Herein, a comparative study was conducted on the effect of unmodified and cationically modified nanocrystalline cellulose (CNCC) on the overall properties of the as-prepared hemicelluloses (HC)/sorbitol (SB) films. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image shows that the addition of CNCC imparted a relatively smooth surface to the obtained HC/SB films in comparison to NCC. Furthermore, CNCC reinforced HC/SB films exhibited improved thermal stability as compared to that with NCC. From rheological behavior evaluation, the presence of NCC, particularly CNCC, had an important effect on thickening HC/SB suspensions. The tensile stress of the composite films with 9% NCC and 9% CNCC was 9.18 and 10.44 MPa, respectively, which was increased by 14 and 30% in comparison to that of pure HC/SB film (8.05 MPa). The marked increase in elastic modulus as a function of the added NCC or CNCC was also identified. This result strongly supports the conclusion that the addition of NCC or CNCC was effective in improving the mechanical properties of HC/SB films.