Abstract
Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) were spun into filaments directly from suspension without the aid of solvents. The influence of starting material properties and drying temperature on the properties of filaments produced from three different CNF suspensions was studied. Refiner-produced CNF was ground using a microgrinder at grinding times of 50 and 100 minutes. Filament spinning was performed using a syringe pump-heat gun setting at three drying temperatures of 210 °C, 320 °C and 430 °C. The structure of starting CNF materials was first evaluated using a combination of optical and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. Surface free energy analysis and attenuated total reflectance—Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR–FTIR) were used to study changes in hydrophobicity due to grinding. Morphology of the filaments was studied using SEM micrographs. The influence of different drying temperatures and grinding times on mechanical properties of the CNF filaments were further investigated through tensile tests and results were compared using statistical analysis .It was observed that drying temperature did not significantly influence the tensile properties of the filaments while cellulose nanofiber suspension type (grinding time) had a significant influence and improved mechanical properties. FTIR results confirmed an increase in crystallinity index and decrease in hydroxyl group availability due to grinding.
Highlights
Most commercially available nanomaterials lack biodegradability or recyclability, have limited applications where recyclability and renewability are of interest
As Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) is naturally produced as a suspension containing about 97% water, the drying procedure is a time-consuming, expensive and suspension containing about 97% water, the drying procedure is a time-consuming, expensive and crucial step for the production of any material from cellulose nanofibrils, in particular CNF filaments
We have studied the influence of starting CNF type and drying temperature on the properties of filaments produced by dry spinning of cellulose nanofibril suspensions
Summary
Most commercially available nanomaterials lack biodegradability or recyclability, have limited applications where recyclability and renewability are of interest. Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), which are mechanically derived from wood pulp are widely regarded as materials that have the potential to help the declining pulp and paper industry by providing added value to low-demand wood pulp. These nanoscale fibrils offer an interesting package of physical and mechanical properties, making them potential candidates for a wide variety of applications to solve issues with current materials [1,2]. One of the key potential applications of the cellulose nanofibrils is the use of these materials in textile products as high-tech or conventional products
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