Bark derived submicron-sized and nano-sized cellulose fibers: From industrial waste to high performance materials

In this study, the use of bark as a natural source for the production of cellulose nanofibers has been explored for the first time. The fibrillation using bleached and unbleached cellulose fibers from the bark yielded sub-micron scale (<1 mu m) and nanoscale fibers (<100 nm). Previous attempts to break the crosslinked lignin barrier to produce fibrillated submicron sized or nano sized cellulose fibers with high lignin content (>20%) have never been possible from any other sources. The maximum elastic modulus value of 15.6 GPa and tensile strength value of 76 MPa were obtained for the films made from fibrillated bark cellulose fibers. The water vapour barrier efficiency for these films is comparable to nanocellulose films from other studies. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.