Influence of the cellulose purification process on the properties of aerogels obtained from rice straw

Abstract

Cellulose aerogels were obtained from purified rice straw cellulose fibres (CF) by applying different extraction methods: the conventional alkaline treatment (ALK) and alternative aqueous extraction based on the ultrasound combined with reflux heating (USHT) and subcritical water extraction (SWE) (160 and 180 °C). The composition and properties of the CFs were significantly affected by the purification process. The USHT treatment was as efficient as the ALK at eliminating the silica content, but the fibres maintained a notable ratio of hemicellulose (∼16 %). The SWE treatments were not so effective at removing silica (15 %) but greatly promoted the selective extraction of hemicellulose, especially at 180 °C (3 %). The CF compositional differences affected their hydrogel formation capacity and the properties of aerogels. A higher hemicellulose content in the CF led to better-structured hydrogels with better water-holding capacity, while the aerogels exhibited a more cohesive structure with thicker walls, higher porosity (99 %) and water vapour sorption capacity, but lower liquid water retention capacity (0.2 g/g). The residual silica content also interfered with the hydrogel and aerogel formation, giving rise to less structured hydrogels and more fibrous aerogels, with lower porosity (97–98 %).