Lignin and Xylan as interface engineering additives for improved environmental durability of sustainable cellulose nanopapers

Sergejs Beluns*, Oskars Platnieks, Sergejs Gaidukovs, Olesja Starkova, Alisa Sabalina, Liga Grase, Vijay Kumar Thakur, Gerda Gaidukova

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

23 Citations (Scopus)
71 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Cellulose materials and products are frequently affected by environmental factors such as light, temperature, and humidity. Simulated UV irradiation, heat, and moisture exposure were comprehensively used to characterize changes in cellulose nanopaper (NP) tensile properties. For the preparation of NP, high‐purity cellulose from old, unused filter paper waste was used. Lignin and xylan were used as sustainable green interface engineering modifiers for NP due to their structural compatibility, low price, nontoxic nature, and abundance as a by‐product of biomass processing, as well as their ability to protect cellulose fibers from UV irradiation. Nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) suspension was obtained by microfluidizing cellulose suspension, and NP was produced by casting films from water suspensions. The use of filler from 1 to 30 wt % significantly altered NP properties. All nanopapers were tested for their sensitivity to water humidity, which reduced mechanical properties from 10 to 40% depending on the saturation level. Xylan addition showed a significant increase in the specific elastic modulus and specific strength by 1.4‐ and 2.8‐ fold, respectively. Xylan‐containing NPs had remarkable resistance to UV irradiation, retaining 50 to 90% of their initial properties. Lignin‐modified NPs resulted in a decreased mechanical performance due to the particle structure of the filler and the agglomeration process, but it was compensated by good property retention and enhanced elongation. The UV oxidation process of the NP interface was studied with UV‐Vis and FTIR spectroscopy, which showed that the degradation of lignin and xylan preserves a cellulose fiber structure. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed the structural formation of the interface and supplemented understanding of UV aging impact on the surface and penetration depth in the cross‐section. The ability to overcome premature aging in environmental factors can significantly benefit the wide adaption of NP in food packaging and functional applications.

Original languageEnglish
Article number12939
JournalInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences
Volume22
Issue number23
Early online date29 Nov 2021
DOIs
Publication statusFirst published - 29 Nov 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research is funded by the Latvian Council of Science, project RealHLC No. lzp?2019/1? 0390 and project No. lzp?2020/2?0207. S.B. work has been supported by the European Social Fund within the Project No 8.2.2.0/20/I/008 ?Strengthening of PhD students and academic personnel of Riga Technical University and BA School of Business and Finance in the strategic fields of specialization? of the Specific Objective 8.2.2 ?To Strengthen Academic Staff of Higher Education Institutions in Strategic Specialization Areas? of the Operational Programme ?Growth and Employment?.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Keywords

  • Food packaging
  • Functional material
  • Mechanical properties
  • Moisture absorption
  • Photodegradation
  • Sustainable

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