Extraction of cellulose nanofiber from parenchyma cells of agricultural residues

Abstract

Cellulose nanofiber is an environmentally friendly reinforcing phase extractable from plants, with potential application in composites. Due to the cell wall structure differences, plant parenchyma cells might be easier to nanofibrillate than sclerenchyma cells of wood pulp fibers, resulting in lower extraction costs. This study assessed the extraction of nanofibers from residues like corn husk, banana peel, cabbage leaf, and taro leaf using a kitchen blender. Fibrillation was evaluated based on the strength of paper-like sheets produced from the nanofibers. Corn husk was nanofibrillated by the shortest blending time among the sources considered, and delivered the highest sheet strength. The blending time needed was significantly shorter than that needed to fibrillate hardwood pulp fibers.