Nicholas Tchang Cervin

Ultra porous nanocellulose aerogels as separation medium for mixtures of oil/water liquids

A novel type of sponge-like material for the separation of mixed oil and water liquids has been prepared by the vapour deposition of hydrophobic silanes on ultra-porous nanocellulose aerogels. To achieve this, a highly porous (>99%) nanocellulose aerogel with high structural flexibility and robustness is first formed by freeze-drying an aqueous dispersion of the nanocellulose. The density, pore size distribution and wetting properties of the aerogel can be tuned by selecting the concentration of the nanocellulose dispersion before freeze-drying. The hydrophobic light- weight aerogels are almost instantly filled with the oil phase when selectively absorbing oil from water, with a capacity to absorb up to 45 times their own weight in oil. The oil can also be drained from the aerogel and the aerogel can then be reused for a second absorption cycle.

Lightweight and strong cellulose materials made from aqueous foams stabilized by nanofibrillated cellulose.

A lightweight and strong porous cellulose material has been prepared by drying aqueous foams stabilized with surface-modified nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC). This material differs from other dry, particle stabilized foams in that renewable cellulose is used as stabilizing particles. Confocal microscopy and high speed video imaging show that the octylamine-coated, rod-shaped NFC nanoparticles residing at the air-liquid interface prevent the air bubbles from collapsing or coalescing. Stable wet foams can be achieved at solids content around 1% by weight. Careful removal of the water results in a cellulose-based material with a porosity of 98% and a density of 30 mg cm(-3). These porous cellulose materials have a higher Youngs modulus than porous cellulose materials made from freeze-drying, at comparable densities, and have a compressive energy absorption of 56 kJ m(-3) at 80% strain. Measurement with the aid of an autoporosimeter revealed that most pores are in the range of 300 to 500 μm.

Mechanisms behind the Stabilizing Action of Cellulose Nanofibrils in Wet-Stable Cellulose Foams

The principal purpose of the investigation was to clarify the mechanisms behind the stabilizing action of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) in wet-stable cellulose foams. Following the basic theories for particle-stabilized foams, the investigation was focused on how the surface energy of the stabilizing CNF particles, their aspect ratio and charge density, and the concentration of CNF particles at the air-water interface affect the foam stability and the mechanical properties of a particle-stabilized air-liquid interface. The foam stability was evaluated from how the foam height changed over time, and the mechanical properties of the interface were evaluated as the complex viscoelastic modulus of the interface using the pendant drop method. The most important results and conclusions are that CNFs can be used as stabilizing particles for aqueous foams already at a concentration as low as 5 g/L. The major reasons for this were the small dimensions of the CNF and their high aspect ratio, which is important for gel-formation and the complex viscoelastic modulus of the particle-filled air-water interface. The influence of the aspect ratio was also demonstrated by a much higher foam stability of foams stabilized with CNFs than of foams stabilized by cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) with the same chemical composition. The charge density of the CNFs affects the level of liberation within larger aggregates and hence also the number of contact points at the interface and the gel formation and complex viscoelastic modulus of the air-water interface. The charges also result in a disjoining pressure related to the long-range repulsive electrostatic pressure between particle-stabilized bubbles and hence contribute to foam stability.

Nanostructurally Controlled Hydrogel Based on Small-Diameter Native Chitin Nanofibers: Preparation, Structure, and Properties.

Abstract Chitin nanofibers of unique structure and properties can be obtained from crustacean and fishery waste. These chitin nanofibers have roughly 4 nm diameters, aspect ratios between 25–250, a high degree of acetylation and preserved crystallinity, and can be potentially applied in hydrogels. Hydrogels with a chitin nanofiber content of 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 wt % were successfully prepared. The methodology for preparation is new, environmentally friendly, and simple as gelation is induced by neutralization of the charged colloidal mixture, inducing precipitation and secondary bond interaction between nanofibers. Pore structure and pore size distributions of corresponding aerogels are characterized using auto‐porosimetry, revealing a substantial fraction of nanoscale pores. To the best of our knowledge, the values for storage (13 kPa at 3 wt %) and compression modulus (309 kPa at 2 wt %) are the highest reported for chitin nanofibers hydrogels.

Strong, Water-Durable, and Wet-Resilient Cellulose Nanofibril-Stabilized Foams from Oven Drying

Porous materials from cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) have been prepared using Pickering foams from aqueous dispersions. Stable wet foams were first produced using surface-modified CNFs as stabilizing particles. To better maintain the homogeneous pore structure of the foam after drying, the foams were dried in an oven on a liquid-filled porous ceramic frit. The cell structure was studied by scanning electron microscopy and liquid porosimetry, the mechanical properties were studied by compression testing, and the liquid absorption capacity was determined both with liquid porosimetry and by soaking in water. By controlling the charge density of the CNFs, it was possible to prepare dry foams with different densities, the lowest density being 6 kg m(-3), that is, a porosity of 99.6%. For a foam with a density of 200 kg m(-3), the compressive Youngs modulus was 50 MPa and the energy absorption to 70% strain was 2.3 MJ m(-3). The use of chemically modified CNFs made it possible to prepare cross-linked foams with water-durable and wet-resilient properties. These foams absorbed liquid up to 34 times their own weight and were able to release this liquid under compression and to reabsorb the same amount when the pressure was released.