In situ sulfonation steam explosion: energy efficient for lignocellulosic micro/nanofibrils production

Abstract

To valorise the waste of Posidonia oceanica, a dominant sea grass in the Mediterranean Sea, the production of cellulose micro/nanofibrils with high lignin content (LCM/NF) is carried out in this work. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of lignin sulfonation conditions (impregnation conditions, time and temperature) on Posidonia fibres. This reaction is conducted in situ by using a steam explosion which is considered as an energy efficient process. Depending on the experimental conditions, sulfonated pulps are obtained with sulfonic group contents between 70 and 130 µmol/g, then used to produce LCM/NF by twin-screw extrusion and grinding. To investigate the quality of the produced LCM/NF, several techniques are used to study their morphological, structural and mechanical properties. Sulfonated LCM/NF result in nanopapers having high elastic modulus (between 5 and 6 GPa) with reduced energy consumption. The sulfonation could be considered as a mild pretreatment for preparing LCM/NF with properties.