Nanofibrillated Cellulose Extracted by Enzymatic Hydrolysis Followed by Mechanical Fibrillation
In a comparison with certain one-step processes, enzymatic hydrolysis followed by mechanical defibrillation may avoid the use of nonrenewable resources, mitigate the generation of toxic effluents, and reduce the energy consumption related to a single mechanical process. In the present study, bleache...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Journal of Natural Fibers |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15440478.2021.1982826 |
| Summary: | In a comparison with certain one-step processes, enzymatic hydrolysis followed by mechanical defibrillation may avoid the use of nonrenewable resources, mitigate the generation of toxic effluents, and reduce the energy consumption related to a single mechanical process. In the present study, bleached and unbleached hardwood pulps were employed as raw materials for producing nanofibrillated cellulose (CNF) using a two-step process, in which a cellulase enzyme was inoculated to act as a pretreatment for a subsequent grinding process. The obtained CNF reached high crystallinity indexes (above 70%) and high thermal stability (degradation onset temperatures around 200°C). Increases in enzyme concentration yielded decreases in diameter and increases in both thermal stability and crystallinity index. These findings indicated that the enzymatic hydrolysis used as a pretreatment to a further grinding process can allow the production of valuable CNF-based products. |
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| ISSN: | 1544-0478 1544-046X |