Corn
husk is usually burned and discarded, resulting in environment
pollution and a waste of resources. To make better use of corn husk,
in this work, corn husk filament (CHF) and corn husk powder (CHP)
were first separated and then the comparative evaluation of efficient
conversion of CHF and CHP to valuable materials was carried out via
a sustainable route [i.e., one-step formic acid (FA) hydrolysis].
After FA fractionation, over 90% hemicellulose could be removed (mainly
converted to xylose), about 80% lignin with high purity could be isolated,
and the fractionated cellulose solid residue was used to fabricate
cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and functional cellulose nanopaper (CNP).
Results showed that, compared to CHP, the CHF with lower density,
longer fibers, and higher crystallinity could be easier to hydrolyze,
and the resulting CNFs had a smaller diameter and higher crystallinity,
leading the final CNP to have better mechanical properties. The maximum
tensile strength and toughness of the resultant CNP reached up to
177.0 ± 6.1 MPa and 13.3 ± 1.7 MJ·m–3, respectively. Also, the CNP with high crystallinity and great thermal
stability exhibited excellent water resistance and good barrier properties.
Thus, the present work provides a sustainable and new route to make
full use of corn husk through the production of xylose, high-purity
lignin, and functional CNP.