Abstract
Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) aerogels were synthesized, blendingwith high amylose corn starch of different contents based on a NaOH–urea solution, and following by vacuum freeze-drying technology. The microstructure of the aerogel was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as an interconnected, porous three-dimensional structure, while X-ray diffractogram (XRD) measurements showed that the crystalline form was converted from cellulose I to cellulose II during dissolution and regeneration. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the content of starch had little effect on the thermal stability of the aerogel, whereas the content of starch had great influences on absorption and viscoelastic properties. When the ratio of starch was 10% and 15%, the prepared aerogels presented a low density and abundant pores, which endowed the aerogels, not only with the highest absorption ratio of pump oil and linseed oil (10.63 and 11.44 g/g, respectively), but also with better dynamic viscoelastic properties.
Highlights
With the rapid growth of the global population and rapid economic development, the water pollution caused by the disordered discharge of industrial and domestic wastewater, as well as the leakage caused by the improper treatment of oil, cause economic losses, but are dangerous to the environment
We present a new composite aerogel based on microcrystalline cellulose and high amylose corn starch dissolved in a NaOH–urea solution, produced by using vacuum freeze-drying technology
High amylose corn starch was purchased by Yujing Food Co., Ltd. (Zhengzhou, China) Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and urea were received from Beijing Chemical Works (Beijing, China)
Summary
With the rapid growth of the global population and rapid economic development, the water pollution caused by the disordered discharge of industrial and domestic wastewater, as well as the leakage caused by the improper treatment of oil, cause economic losses, but are dangerous to the environment. Novel, green, renewable materials with high absorption that can be degraded by the environment are urgently needed, and cellulose-based aerogels represent an effective alternative. These materials constitute a new generation of aerogels, which have inherited the high porosity and large surface area of preceding aerogels [6], and have overcome the problem of non-biodegradability of inorganic aerogels [7]. We present a new composite aerogel based on microcrystalline cellulose and high amylose corn starch dissolved in a NaOH–urea solution, produced by using vacuum freeze-drying technology. The objective of the study is to investigate the influence on structural characteristics, thermodynamic, absorption, and viscoelastic properties, of charging cellulose-based aerogels with different starch content
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