Assessment of the acetylation process of wheat straw pulp as sustainable rheological modifier for non-polar fluids

Abstract

The main aim of this work was to study the role of the acetylation process of wheat straw pulp on its ability to rheologically modify two of the most important non-polar engineering fluid: bitumen and oil. Pulp was produced by a pilot-scale kraft pulping process from local wheat straw. Pulp was functionalized with acetic anhydride and sulfuric acid as a catalyst by modifying (temperature, pulp/acetic anhydride mass ratio, and reaction time. Further, chemical, morphological and thermal changes induced by the acetylation process were properly assessed. Acetylated wheat straw pulp dispersions in oil showed gel-like behaviour, with a mechanical spectrum characterized by higher values of the storage modulus (G′) and a minimum in the loss modulus (G″) at intermediate frequencies. The complex modulus (G*) for bitumen dispersions formulated with acetylated samples was up to 4 times higher than neat bitumen, and the phase angle (δ) indicated an enhancement in the elastic behavior parameters. The rheological response of these systems was associated with the microstructural network formed by pulp fibers and the balance between the physical and chemical changes of wheat straw fibers. According to the experimental results obtained, it can be concluded that acetylation is a relevant chemical treatment to modulate the rheological properties of wheat straw pulp dispersions in non-polar fluids, improving the compatibility between pulp fibers and these engineering fluids. Accordingly, this study provides valuable insights into the development of sustainable multiphasic materials (bitumen binders and semi-solid lubricants) for industrial applications.