Cellulose Nanofiber Suspension Research Articles

The conversion of nata de coco bacterial cellulose into cellulose nanofibers using high shear mixer with eco-friendly fluid dynamics method

Nanocellulose is widely applied in various fields due to its superior characteristics. Several methods have been developed to synthesize it, but they still have limitedness as being non-eco-friendly and inefficient use. Therefore, the synthesis of nanocellulose from sustainable sources is being developed using a simple and eco-friendly method. This study successfully produced a low viscosity gel suspension of cellulose nanofibers (CNF) from bacterial cellulose (BC) derived from Nata de Coco using a high shear mixer (HSM). The mixture of BC and water in a 1:1 ratio was processed with various rotational speeds and times in the HSM. The suspension result was characterized using an Ostwald viscometer, UV-vis spectrophotometer, lux meter, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), particle size analyzer (PSA), and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Based on the characterization, it was confirmed that higher rotational speeds and extended processing times reduced the suspension viscosity and increased light transmittance, indicating a reduction in BC size to the submicron/nanometer scale. The best light transmittance was achieved with the HSM at 4500 rpm for 180 min, resulting in a viscosity drop from 232.67 mPa.s to 1.45 mPa.s. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that the CNF retained its fibrous structure with nanometer-scale widths and high porosity without significant changes in crystallinity.

Development of High Proton Conductive Membrane Using the Nano Cellulose Fibers for Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

Recently, woody biomass has been used in multiple ways as a carbon-neutral and renewable resource. Among them, cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) are attracting attention as a new nanomaterial derived from cellulose, which is one of the major components of trees. We established a unique CNF production method by introducing phosphate groups to the hydroxyl groups in the wood pulp. The obtained phosphorylated CNFs were completely nanofibrillated (approximately 3 nm in width) with high yield, and their aqueous dispersion was highly transparent, viscous, and stable at pH 3−11. An aqueous dispersion of phosphorylated CNFs can be dehydrated and dried to form transparent CNFs sheet with densely-packed CNFs. This sheet has high transparency, strength, and thermal dimensional stability, and at the same time, it has paper-like flexibility. To promote the practical use of this technology, we have currently been operating a demonstration plant for the production of CNFs aqueous dispersion and CNFs sheet.By using CNF, which have excellent water retention and film-forming properties, we developed a nanocellulose PEM that is weakly acidic, has low environmental impact, and has high proton conductivity. The PEM using cellulose nanofibers showed a high proton conductivity of >7×10-2Scm-1 under 95% RH at 80 ℃. By combining a PVPA filler in a CNF suspension, it has become possible to easily create a self-supporting membrane using CNF as a binder. This composite membrane showed an especially high proton conductivity of 9×10-2 Scm-1 under 95% RH at 80 ℃. These results suggest that CNF presents a high potential substitute for perfluorosulfonic acid polymers and serves as a pivotal component of environmentally sustainable PEMs.

Application of Anionic Hydrogels from Date Palm Waste for Dye Adsorption in Wastewater Treatment.

This work aimed to develop an anionic cellulose nanofiber (CNF) bio-adsorbent from date palm tree waste and to investigate its removal efficiency compared to cationic methylene blue dye from contaminated water. Date palm pulp was first prepared from date palm leaves through acid hydrolysis using H2SO4, followed by hydrolysis in a basic medium using KOH, in which the process completely removed the components of hemicellulose, lignin, and silica. To obtain anionic CNF, the resulting pulp was further treated with H2SO4, followed by centrifugation. Biogel formation of the CNF suspension was promoted by sonication, where its removal efficiency of methylene blue dye was studied as a function of dye concentration, temperature, contact time, and pH value. In this work, we investigated two isotherms, i.e., Langmuir and Freundlich. The Langmuir model's consistency with the experimental data suggests that the adsorption of methylene blue dye onto CNF is monolayer and surface-limited. The reported maximum removal efficiency of 5 mg/g at 60 °C indicates the optimal temperature for adsorption in this specific case. Additionally, a pseudo-second-order model and Elovich model were also utilized to obtain a better understanding of the adsorption mechanism, in which we found not just physical adsorption but also an indication of a chemical reaction occurring between methylene blue dye and CNF. According to the results, that pseudo-second-order model's consistency with the experimental data suggests that the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) onto CNF is rate-limiting step involving chemisorption between the two. The study reveals that CNF adsorbents derived from renewable natural waste sources such as date palm leaves can be effective in removing cationic contaminants such as methylene blue dye.

Production and characterization of highly redispersible dried cellulose nanofibers exhibiting green color from leaves and stems of Centella asiatica

Several studies have demonstrated potential of cellulose nanofibers (CNF) in various applications. However, no protocols are available for the production of spray-dried CNF with high water redispersibility; interfibrillar hydrogen bonding that occurs during spray drying is believed to be responsible for such lack of redispersibility. The present study therefore aimed to develop a protocol that can be used to prepare CNF powders from Centella asiatica via spray drying, with maltodextrin (MD) at CNF-to-MD ratios of 1:0, 1:1, 1:1.5, 1:2 and 1:2.5 as the drying aid. Chlorophylls within such plant were also complexed with zinc in order to allow the resulting redispersed CNF to exhibit thermally stable green color. The resulting powders were analyzed for their morphology, XRD pattern and FTIR spectra to confirm the interaction between CNF and MD. Appropriate CNF-to-MD ratios were determined based on the sedimentation behavior, morphology, fiber sizes and viscoelasticity of the redispersed suspensions. Only spray-dried powders with CNF-to-MD ratios of 1:2 and 1:2.5 showed no sedimentation during the entire storage period. Suspensions prepared from the powders produced at these ratios were also capable of regaining morphology and nanofibrous widths (19–20 nm) comparable to those of freshly prepared CNF suspension, with gel-like behavior and viscoelasticity remained unchanged. Zinc-chlorophylls complex possessed thermal stability under the employed spray drying condition, as confirmed by the retention of chlorophylls in the powders. Green color of redispersed CNF suspensions was similar to that of freshly prepared CNF suspension.

Flexible Cellulose Nanofiber (CNF)-Nano- Montmorillonite (MMT) Composite Sheet Structure and Water Vapor Barrier Performance

One of the newly developed nanomaterials for functioning as high-performance packaging materials to replace synthetic plastics such as low-density and high-density polyethylene (LDPE, HDPE) is cellulose nanofiber (CNF). These substances are biodegradable, recyclable, and renewable. While cellulose nanofiber-based films have substantially better water vapor permeability than traditional packaging polymers, they have extremely low oxygen permeability. Water vapor permeability (WVP) of the spray-coated composites was decreased via spraying nano-montmorillonite (MMT) content into CNF suspension and also high-pressure homogenization of CNF-MMT suspension. The process for spraying cellulose nanofiber (CNF)-nano-montmorillonite (MMT) suspension on the stainless-steel surface was developed to produce a high-barrier performance composite. The two types of composites were prepared via spraying of raw CNF with MMT and fibrillated CNF with MMT via high-pressure homogenization. The structure and barrier performance of these composites were investigated with SAXS and ASTM E96/E96M-05. Before homogenization, the MMT is agglomerated, while after homogenization it is more exfoliated, which is split up into individual sheets. The water vapor permeability could be reduced by adding up to 20 wt. % montmorillonite and dispersing montmorillonite with two passes in a high-pressure homogenizer. With montmorillonite addition above 20 wt. %, the water vapor permeability started to increase due to aggregation of the montmorillonite in the homogenized composite. At the optimal addition level, the best performance achieved with spraying was a water vapor permeability of 8.3 x 10-12 g/m.s.pa. The air permeability of the composite was evaluated to be less than 0.003 µm/Pa.s. This value confirms an impermeable composite for packaging applications. Considering the orientation of MMT in the composite, the composite’s structure can decide the barrier performance and can be altered by further fibrillation process of cellulose nanofibers via high-pressure homogenization.

Low temperature effects on the rheological properties of aqueous cellulose nanofiber suspensions

Low temperature effects on the rheological properties of aqueous cellulose nanofiber suspensions

Selection of suitable cellulose nanofibers derived from eco-friendly sources for the production of lightweight cementitious composites with tuned rheological, mechanical, and microstructure properties

Different cellulose nanofibers (CNF) and ordinary Portland cement (OPC) were combined to prepare CNF-OPC composite pastes at different water to cement ratios (W/C) to optimize density, thermal conductivity, and mechanical strength. The rheological data of CNF-OPC composites showed that the viscosity and yield stress of the mixtures were abruptly increased in comparison to those of OPC pastes at equal W/C. Rheological and morphological data showed that the uniformity of the CNF and degree of fiber entanglement plays a significant role in tuning the composite properties. CNF suspensions with short fibers were observed to improve the mechanical properties of the composite while suspensions with entangled fiber networks were found to decrease density and thermal conductivity. Loss of flexural strength of CNF-OPC compared to OPC was found to be to a lesser extent than loss of compressive strength. The dry density and thermal conductivity of the CNF-OPC composites were substantially reduced to the range of 750 (kg/m3) and 0.1 (W/m−1K−1) at W/C = 2. CNF caused a reduction in peak temperature and postponed the hydration peak by more than 2 h compared to OPC.

Lightweight and robust cellulose/MXene/polyurethane composite aerogels as personal protective wearable devices for electromagnetic interference shielding

The increasing electromagnetic pollution is urgently needed as an electromagnetic interference shielding protection device for wearable devices. Two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXene), due to their interesting layered structure and high electrical conductivity, are ideal candidates for constructing efficient conductive networks in electromagnetic interference shielding materials. In this work, lightweight and robust cellulose/MXene/polyurethane composite aerogels were prepared by mixing cellulose nanofiber (CNF) suspensions with MXene, followed by freeze-drying and coating with polyurethane. In this process, CNF effectively assembled MXene nanosheets into a conductive network by enhancing the interactions between MXene nanosheets. The prepared aerogel exhibited the shielding effectiveness of 48.59 dB in the X-band and an electrical conductivity of 0.34 S·cm−1. Meanwhile, the composite aerogel also possessed excellent thermal insulation, infrared stealth, mechanical and hydrophobic properties, and can be used as a wearable protective device to protect the human body from injuries in different scenarios while providing electromagnetic interference shielding protection.

Two-dimensional rheo-optical measurement system to study dynamics and structure of complex fluids

Abstract We have developed a novel rheo-optical measurement system based on two-dimensional polarization analysis, which can evaluate the rheological properties and structure of a complex fluid simultaneously. To assess the utility of the system, we used it to investigate the relationship between yield behavior and structural evolution in a TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofiber (T-CNF) suspension, which is a yield-stress fluid that has been actively studied in recent years. To analyze the structural evolution of a T-CNF suspension, stress-ramp tests were conducted. A two-step yield behavior was observed, and distributions of retardation and orientation axis varied dramatically with increasing shear stress. In particular, different distributions were observed in the three regions: after the first yield point, before the second yield point, and after the second yield point. In experiments with a low-concentration T-CNF suspension that exhibits no yield behavior, the retardation increased monotonically with increasing shear stress, and its distribution was uniform. It was demonstrated that the yield behavior and related structures can be analyzed from these results. More detailed structural mechanisms require various rheological tests using the developed system. However, the present insights demonstrate the valuable information provided by the developed rheo-optical measurement system, contributing essential knowledge for applications in various fields.

Solar Steam Generator with Divergent Microchannels for Highly Efficient and Salt‐Resistant Brine Evaporation

AbstractA novel solar steam generator featuring divergent microchannels (SSG‐DM) is developed via directional freezing of a polypyrrole (PPy)–cellulose nanofiber (CNF) suspension in an inverted frustum mold. Contrary to the conventional 3D SSGs characterized by random micropores (SSG‐RM), SSGs incorporating vertical microchannels (SSG‐VM), fabricated through directional freezing procedure, demonstrate increased evaporation performance due to enhanced water transport to the top surface. However, SSG‐VM manifests a limitation in the form of reduced salt resistance on its side surfaces where water transport is restricted. This issue is addressed by directional freezing of a PPy–CNF suspension in an inverted frustum mold, followed by freeze‐thawing gelation in an AlCl3 solution. The fabricated SSG features divergent microchannels that spanned from the bottom surface to the top and side surfaces, with a gradual increase in diameter. The evaporation rate of SSG‐DM is recorded at 2.42 kg m−2h−1 under 1‐sun illumination; this rate further increases to 15.73 kg m−2h−1 in the presence of a 4 m s−1 wind. Notably, SSG‐DM demonstrates excellent salt resistance in highly saline brine (10 wt%) under windy conditions (4 m s−1), whereas SSG‐RM and SSG‐VM are ineffective under the same conditions.

Ambient-dried, scalable and biodegradable cellulose nanofibers aerogel for oil-spill cleanup

Aerogels made of surface-modified cellulose nanofibers (CNF) have the potential to be a long-term solution for oil spill cleanup and industrial waste-water treatment, but their use is currently constrained by high preparation costs, lengthy processing times, and use of hazardous chemicals. In this study, a cost-effective and easily scalable cellulose nanofibers aerogel is developed using sugarcane bagasse as the cellulose source. The aqueous suspension of CNF and urea is freeze-thawed and then dried at ambient temperatures to produce CNF aerogels, avoiding the costly and time-consuming freeze-drying or supercritical drying methods. The role of urea in the aerogel structure is investigated using molecular dynamics. The aerogel exhibited an elastic modulus of 1345 KPa and a porosity of 96.9 %. To enhance the hydrophobicity of the surface of these aerogels, they are coated with the biodegradable polymer polycaprolactone (PCL). Further, two molecular weights (MW) PCL 10,000 and 80,000 are used to examine the impact of PCL MW on the performance and biodegradability of aerogel. Moreover, the efficacy of these green modifications is being compared to the conventional silane modifications. The 10,000 MW PCL-modified aerogel demonstrated a water-contact angle measuring 125.5°, an oil sorption capacity of 24 g/g, and exceptional recyclability even after undergoing 20 cycles. Further, after 15 days, the aerogel showed excellent biodegradability.

Synthesis and characterization of cellulose nanofibers from waste paper and their utilization in wood adhesion

AbstractNanocellulose extraction from lignocellulosic materials is a highly chemical and energy‐intensive process as it requires the removal of lignin and hemicellulose. Writing paper is one of the processed materials that could be used as a raw material for the extraction of nanocellulose. In this work, cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) were synthesized from paper waste using TEMPO‐oxidation followed by high‐shear microfluidization. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy confirmed the diameter of fibers in the nano‐range and a consistent zeta potential confirmed the stability of CNF suspension in water over a long time frame. Characterization of the CNFs using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated the presence of a carbonyl group due to the oxidation process. Thermogravimetric analysis and x‐ray diffraction revealed lower thermal stability and reduction in the crystallinity index of CNFs, as compared to pulp fibers. The obtained CNFs were used successfully as the sole binding agent in the preparation of fiberboards and also utilized as a reinforcing agent for polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) adhesive in the preparation of laminated veneer lumber (LVLs). The addition of CNFs in PVAc improved the glue shear strength indicating superior bonding characteristics and also increased the water resistance of the LVLs.Highlights This work focused on cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) extraction from waste paper Obtained CNFs form stable water suspension and have a diameter of less than 15 nm Thermal stability and crystallinity index reduced after conversion to nanofibers CNFs form a complex network and act as a sole binder to make fiberboards CNFs were utilized as a reinforcing agent for PVAc in preparation of LVLs

Environment-friendly, high-performance cellulose nanofiber-vanillin epoxy nanocomposite with excellent mechanical, thermal insulation and UV shielding properties

With the increased demand for biobased epoxy thermosets as an alternative to petroleum-based materials in various fields, developing environment-friendly and high-performance natural fiber-biobased epoxy nanocomposites is crucial for industrial applications. Herein, an environment-friendly nanocomposite is reported by introducing cellulose nanofiber (CNF) in situ interaction with lignin-derived vanillin epoxy (VE) monomer and 4, 4´-diaminodiphenyl methane (DDM) hardener that serves as a multifunctional platform. The CNF-VE nanocomposite is fabricated by simply dispersing the CNF suspension to the VE and DDM hardener solution through the in-situ reaction, and its mechanical properties and thermal insulation behavior, wettability, chemical resistance, and optical properties are evaluated with the CNF weight percent variation. The well-dispersed CNF-VE nanocomposite exhibited high tensile strength (∼127.78 ± 3.99 MPa) and strain-at-break (∼16.49 ± 0.61 %), haziness (∼50 %) and UV-shielding properties. The in situ loading of CNF forms covalent crosslinking with the VE and favors improving the mechanical properties along with the homogeneous dispersion of CNF. The CNF-VE nanocomposite also shows lower thermal conductivity (0.26 Wm−1K−1) than glass. The environment-friendly and high-performance nanocomposite provides multiple platforms and can be used for building materials.

Potential use of nanofibrillated cellulose-loaded cationic starch solutions as coating formulation for recycled fluting papers

Effects of cellulose nanofibers (CNF) and cationic starch (CS) were evaluated as coating components relative to the physical and mechanical properties of fluting papersheets fabricated from recycled corrugated cardboard fibers. Fabricated fluting papers were subjected to size press applications by three different coating blends. Coating suspensions were prepared at various concentrations of CNF (0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) and 4 wt% CS, and the same amounts of CS/CNF. The paper sheets were fabricated using size press machine as three-time repetitive applications, followed by one-time drying section, and compared to uncoated, CS-coated, and CNF-coated papers. The application of CNF suspensions increased tensile indices up to 11.7%. Moreover, CS/CNF suspensions resulted in a 67.2% increase in tensile index values. The coating of CS/CNF suspensions increased the burst index values by 163% at the CS+1%CNF concentration when compared to the control pulp. Surface application of prepared suspensions reduced the porosity of the samples under all conditions. The highest reduction in the air permeability was observed in the CS+4%CNF-coated samples as 91.5%. It can be concluded that the superficial applications of CNF on the physical and mechanical properties of recycled fluting paper was more effective in the presence of CS.

IMPACT OF FILLING RATIO AND CELLULOSE NANOFIBER NANOFLUID ON THE TOTAL THERMAL RESISTANCE AND THE STARTUP OF A MINIATURE THERMOSYPHON

Thermosyphons are highly effective heat transfer devices used for thermal management in different fields, such as electronic systems, solar collectors and nuclear reactors. The working fluid within the thermosyphon provides the heat transport from the evaporator to the condenser and limits its thermal performance. In this study, the influence of filling ratio (FR) and the eco-friendly cellulose nanofiber (CNF) nanofluid concentration on the total thermal resistance and the startup of a two-phase closed thermosyphon (TPCT) at various heat loads are investigated experimentally. The working fluids are deionized water (DI) and CNF suspensions with 0.5, 1, and 2 vol.% and filling ratios were set to 25, 50, and 75%. Total thermal resistance of the TPCT was obtained using the recorded data of wall temperature distribution at the steady state of each experiment. Addition of CNF with 1 vol.% to DI at filling ratio of 75% reduced the evaporator wall temperature by 40% and 23%, also it reduced the total thermal resistance by 58.78% and 33.65% at 20 W and 80 W, respectively. Moreover, it shortened the startup duration by 33% and reduced its temperature by 42%. This paper contains important findings that prove that CNF enhanced the thermal performance of the TPCT when applying an appropriate concentration and filling ratio.

Nanofibers/reduced graphene oxide/polypyrrole for High-performance electrode material

Abstract This paper prepared the composite aerogel by adding graphene oxide (GO) and polypyrrole (PPy) to the cellulose nanofiber suspension. Then GO was reduced to RGO (reduced graphene oxide) with reducing agent, and CNFs/RGO/PPy composite aerogel with excellent conductivity was prepared. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was adopted to analyze the structure and morphology of CNFs/RGO/PPy aerogel. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were employed to analyze its electrochemical properties. The results showed that the best structure and electrochemical effect could be obtained when the ratio of CNFs/RGO/PPy was 6:2:3. At the current density of 0.25 mA cm−2, CNFs/RGO/PPy composite aerogel had higher electrochemical performance, and the specific capacitance was 330 F g−1. As an energy storage material, the composite has excellent potential in electrode materials.

Exploring the potential of potato products: Puree and cellulose nanofibers, to improve the nutritional value of mayonnaise

This study aimed to prepare fat-reduced mayonnaise (FRM) using potato puree (PP) and cellulose nanofiber suspension (CNFS, 1.5% w/v) as fat replacer and nutrient supplement, to explore the potential of potato products. Compared with commercial mayonnaise, the texture and rheology of FRMs improved significantly. The optimal formulation of FRM (O-FRM) was selected, and the content of CNFS–PP mixture (the ratio of CNFS and PP was 10:90), corn oil, egg yolk, vinegar, sugar, and salt was 40.0%, 35.0%, 16.0%, 3.5%, 3.0%, and 2.5% (w/w), respectively. O-FRM displayed similar color with commercial full-fat mayonnaise (C-FFM). Its protein and dietary fiber contents were higher than C-FFM and commercial low-fat mayonnaise (C-LFM). Its oil content and energy were lower than C-FFM. Meanwhile, its total acceptability was lower than C-FFM but higher than C-LFM. Overall, CNFS and PP are promising for improving the nutritional quality while maintaining desirable textural and sensorial attributes of mayonnaise.

Green preparation of cellulose nanofibers via high-pressure homogenization and their film-forming properties

Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) have captured extensive recognition owing to their unparalleled properties and environmental-friendliness. Green preparation process is an important step in realizing the sustainable development of CNFs. Herein, CNFs were prepared via high-pressure homogenization using commercial microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) as raw material, and subsequently employed for CNF films production by vacuum filtration. A comprehensive investigation was conducted to explore the influence of the homogenization processes on the stability, rheological characteristics of CNF suspensions, and the resultant properties of CNF films. The results showed that with the increase of homogenization pressure and cycles, the aspect ratio of CNFs increased, the dispersion stability of CNF suspensions improved, and the mechanical properties, hydrophilicity, air barrier property, and light transmittance of CNF films ascended, correspondingly. Under the homogenization pressure of 1000 bar with 15 cycles, the CNF sample exhibited an aspect ratio of 87.8 and a zeta potential of − 23.9 mV. Moreover, the CNF displayed favorable film-forming characteristics, with a tensile strength of 67 MPa, an air permeability of 4.8 µm/Pa·s, and a light transmittance of 70.2%. This work generally provides an effective and eco-friendly process for the preparation of CNFs and CNF films with high performance, which might hold great promise in biodegradable packaging application.

Contaminant microorganisms in the in vitro evaluation of cellular responses of cellulose nanofibers and their microbial inactivation using gamma irradiation

Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) are fibrous nanomaterials produced from plants. Since some nanomaterials are toxic, toxicity evaluation, including in vitro examinations using cultured cells, is essential for the effective use of CNFs. On the other hand, microorganisms in the environment can contaminate CNF suspensions. The contamination of CNF samples and the effects of contaminating microorganisms on in vitro examinations were investigated in this study. Microorganism contamination in CNF samples was examined, and microbial inactivation of CNF suspensions using gamma irradiation was evaluated. After gamma-ray irradiation at absorbed doses of 0.5, 1, 5, and 10 kGy, the cellular effects of CNF suspensions were examined using 6 types of cultured cell, HaCaT, A549, Caco-2, MeT-5A, THP-1, and NR8383 cells. CNF samples were contaminated with bacteria and CNF suspensions exhibited endotoxin activity. Gamma irradiation effectively inactivated the microorganisms contained in the CNF suspensions. When the absorbed dose was 10 kGy, the fiber length of CNF was shortened, but the effect on CNF was small at 1.0 kGy or less. CNF suspensions showed lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-like cellular responses and strongly induced interleukin-8, especially in macrophages. Absorbed doses of at least 10 kGy did not affect the LPS-like activity. In this study, it was shown that the CNF suspension may be contaminated with microorganisms. Gamma irradiation was effective for microbial inactivation of suspension for invitor toxicity evaluation of CNF. In vitro evaluation of CNFs requires attention to the effects of contaminants such as LPS.

Water vapor permeability of smooth cellulose nanofiber film prepared via spraying

Eco-friendly and greener barrier materials are required to replace the synthetic packaging materials as they produce a threat to environment. These can be fabricated by natural polymers such as cellulose nanofiber (CNF). The sustainability of CNF was so amazing due to its potential for circular economy and provides alternative platform for synthetic plastics. The challenging task to fabricate CNF films still existed and also current methods have various limitations. CNF films have good oxygen permeability and the value was lower than synthetic plastics. However, CNF films have poor water vapour permeability and higher than that of synthetic plastics. The fabrication method is one of strong parameters to impact on the water permeability of CNF films. The deposition of CNF suspension on the stainless-steel plate via spraying, is a potential process for fabrication for CNF films acting as barrier material against water vapour. In spraying process, the time required to form CNF films in diameter of 15.9 cm was less than 1 min and it is independent of CNF content in the suspension. The uniqueness of CNF films via the spraying process was their surfaces, such as rough surface exposed to air and smooth surface exposed to stainless steel. Their surfaces were investigated by SEM, AFM and optical profilometry micrographs, confirming that the smooth surface was evaluated notable lower surface roughness. The spray coated surface was smooth and glossy and its impact on the water vapor permeability remains obscure. The spraying process is a flexible process to tailor the basis weight and thickness of CNF films can be adjusted by the spraying of CNF suspension with varying fibre content. The water vapour permeability of CNF films can be tailored via varying density of CNF films. The plot between water vapour transfer rate (WVTR)/water vapour and density of CNF films has been investigated. The WVP of spray coated CNF films varied from 6.99 ± 1.17 × 10−11 to 4.19 ± 1.45 × 10−11 g/m.s.Pa. with the density from 664 Kg/m3 to 1,412.08 Kg/m3. The WVP of CNF films achieved with 2 wt% CNF films (1,120 Kg/m3) was 3.91 × 10−11 g/m.s.Pa. These values were comparable with the WVP of synthetic plastics. Given this correspondence, CNF films via spraying have a good barrier against water vapour. This process is a potential for scale up and commercialization of CNF films as barrier materials.