Rosana Moriana

Cellulose Nanocrystals from Forest Residues as Reinforcing Agents for Composites: A Study from Macro- to Nano-Dimensions

This study investigates for the first time the feasibility of extracting cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from softwood forestry logging residues (woody chips, branches and pine needles), with an obtained gravimetric yield of over 13%. Compared with the other residues, woody chips rendered a higher yield of bleached cellulosic fibers with higher hemicellulose, pectin and lignin content, longer diameter, and lower crystallinity and thermal stability. The isolation of CNCs from these bleached cellulosic fibers was verified by the removal of most of their amorphous components, the increase in the crystallinity index, and the nano-dimensions of the individual crystals. The differences in the physico-chemical properties of the fibers extracted from the three logging residues resulted in CNCs with specific physico-chemical properties. The potential of using the resulting CNCs as reinforcements in nanocomposites was discussed in terms of aspect ratio, crystallinity and thermal stability.

Thermal degradation behavior and kinetic analysis of spruce glucomannan and its methylated derivatives

The thermal degradation behavior and kinetics of spruce glucomannan (SGM) and its methylated derivatives were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis to characterize its temperature-dependent changes for use in specific applications. The results were compared with those obtained for commercial konjac glucomannan (KGM). The SGM and the KGM exhibited two overlapping peaks from 200 to 375°C, which correspond to the intensive devolatilization of more than 59% of the total weight. Differences in the pyrolysis-product distributions and thermal stabilities appeared as a result of the different chemical compositions and molecular weights of the two GMs. The Friedman and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa isoconversional methods and the Coats-Redfern were adopted to determine the kinetic triplet of the intensive devolatilization region. Both GMs can be modeled using a complex mechanism that involves both a Dn-type and an Fn-type reaction. The comparative study of partially methylated GM indicated higher homogeneity and thermal resistance for the material with the higher degree of substitution.

Correlation of chemical, structural and thermal properties of natural fibres for their sustainable exploitation.

The potential of lignocellulosic natural fibres as renewable resources for thermal conversion and material reinforcement is largely dependent on the correlation between their chemical composition, crystalline structure and thermal decomposition properties. Significant differences were observed in the chemical composition of cotton, flax, hemp, kenaf and jute natural fibres in terms of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin content, which influence their morphology, thermal properties and pyrolysis product distribution. A suitable methodology to study the kinetics of the thermal decomposition process of lignocellulosic fibres is proposed combining different models (Friedman, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa, Criado and Coats-Redfern). Cellulose pyrolysis can be modelled with similar kinetic parameters for all the natural fibres whereas the kinetic parameters for hemicellulose pyrolysis show intrinsic differences that can be assigned to the heterogeneous hemicellulose sugar composition in each natural fibre. This study provides the ground to critically select the most promising fibres to be used either for biofuel or material applications.

Forest residues as renewable resources for bio-based polymeric materials and bioenergy: chemical composition, structure and thermal properties

The potential of three different logging residues (woody chips, branches and pine needles) as renewable resources to produce environmentally friendly polymeric materials and/or biofuel has been critically evaluated in terms of their structure, chemical composition and thermal properties. Woody chips constitute the most attractive forest residue to be processed into polymeric materials in terms of their highest cellulose content, crystallinity and thermal stability. In contrast, pine needles and branches offer higher heating values and optimum product distribution for solid fuel applications due to their higher lignin content. In general, forest residual biomass has great potential for conversion into new added value products, such as composites or solid biofuel, thus constituting a sustainable waste management procedure from a biorefinery perspective. The correlation between the chemical and structural properties with the thermal/pyrolytic behavior of residual biomass offers valuable insights to assess their sustainable exploitation.

Bioinspired composites from cross-linked galactoglucomannan and microfibrillated cellulose: Thermal, mechanical and oxygen barrier properties.

In this study, new wood-inspired films were developed from microfibrillated cellulose and galactoglucomannan-lignin networks isolated from chemothermomechanical pulping side streams and cross-linked using laccase enzymes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that cross-linked galactoglucomannan-lignin networks have been used for the potential development of composite films inspired by woody-cell wall formation. Their capability as polymeric matrices was assessed based on thermal, structural, mechanical and oxygen permeability analyses. The addition of different amounts of microfibrillated cellulose as a reinforcing agent and glycerol as a plasticizer on the film performances was evaluated. In general, an increase in microfibrillated cellulose resulted in a film with better thermal, mechanical and oxygen barrier performance. However, the presence of glycerol decreased the thermal stability, stiffness and oxygen barrier properties of the films but improved their elongation. Therefore, depending on the application, the film properties can be tailored by adjusting the amounts of reinforcing agent and plasticizer in the film formulation.

Degradation Behaviour of Natural Fibre Reinforced Starch-Based Composites under Different Environmental Conditions

The purpose of this work was to study the effect of hydrothermal, biological and photo degradation on natural fibres reinforced biodegradable starch-based (Mater-BiKE) composites to characterize th ...