Cellulose Nanocrystals from Forest Residues as Reinforcing Agents for Composites: A Study from Macro- to Nano-Dimensions

Easy Fabrication of Highly Thermal-Stable Cellulose Nanocrystals Using Cr(NO3)3 Catalytic Hydrolysis System: A Feasibility Study from Macro- to Nano-Dimensions

“…In this study, the aspect ratio values of CNC Cr(NO3)3 are well above 10 (~15.7), which is considered the minimum value required for a good stress transfer from the matrix to the fiber for a good reinforcement when nano-biocomposite is targeted [51]. Generally, it is known that to constitute the composites, nanocellulose structures with a higher aspect ratio have a good reinforcing capability of the final polymer products, resulting in an improvement in the thermal and mechanical properties [52].…”

“…In this sense, CNC Cr(NO3)3 with more thermal stability than that of MCC and sulfated CNC H2SO4 provide better-reinforcing capability for different applications such as cosmetics, thermal sensitive papers, and disposable products, owing to the high elastic modulus of its crystal domains [51]. Table 2 summarizes the values of T max for cellulose and its nanomaterials derived from different species and collected from the literature.…”

Production of new cellulose nanomaterial from red algae marine biomass Gelidium elegans

“…Therefore, the high aspect ratio of nanocellulose isolated from Gelidium could provide a better reinforcement and make them as ideal candidates for polymer bio-nanocomposite. This is because high aspect ratio offers a high specific surface area results in a good reinforcing capability effect (Silvério, Neto, Dantas & Pasquini, 2013) and enhance the thermo-mechanical properties on the polymer composite (Moriana, Vilaplana & Ek, 2016).…”

“…Cellulose fibers are subjected to strong acid hydrolysis such as sulfuric (H2SO4), hydrochloric (HCl), and phosphoric acid (H3PO4) to break down the long cellulose polymeric chain into smaller dimensions. Under the controlled hydrolysis conditions of temperature, time, agitation and acid concentration, the amorphous domains of cellulose matrix are preferentially hydrolyzed by the hydronium ions (H3O + ) and leave the highly crystalline segments unaltered (Yahya, Lee & Hamid, 2015 (Liu, Zhong, Chang, Li & Wu, 2010), sugarcane bagasse (Mandal & Chakrabarty, 2011), China cotton, South Africa cotton, waste tissue paper (Maiti et al, 2013), rice straw (Jiang & Hsieh, 2013), borer powder (Hu, Tang, Lu, Wang, Chen & Huang, 2014), recycled newspaper (Mohamed, Salleh, Jaafar, Asri & Ismail, 2015), empty fruit bunch (Ching & Ng, 2014;Goh, Ching, Chuah, Abdullah & Liou, 2016), forest residues (Moriana, Vilaplana & Ek, 2016), and arecanut husk (Chandra, George & Narayanankutty, 2016). Recently, Jiang et al (Jiang & Hsieh, 2013) and Oun et al (Oun & Rhim, 2016) investigated the effect of different hydrolysis treatments on the crystalline index of nanocellulose derived from rice straw cellulose, and the results showed that the H2SO4-treated nanocellulose rendered higher crystallinity (90.7%) than that of mechanical blending (82.5%) and TEMPO-mediated oxidation (64.4%).…”

“…Recently, Jiang et al (Jiang & Hsieh, 2013) and Oun et al (Oun & Rhim, 2016) investigated the effect of different hydrolysis treatments on the crystalline index of nanocellulose derived from rice straw cellulose, and the results showed that the H2SO4-treated nanocellulose rendered higher crystallinity (90.7%) than that of mechanical blending (82.5%) and TEMPO-mediated oxidation (64.4%). It is important to produce high crystallinity nanocellulose as this is the most significant properties that have greater influence on the reinforcing mechanical capabilities than other physicochemical properties such as aspect ratio, thermal stability and surface area (Moriana, Vilaplana & Ek, 2016;Silvério, Neto, Dantas & Pasquini, 2013).…”