Carboxymethyl Cellulose Enhanced Production of Cellulose Nanofibrils

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) were produced by high-pressure homogenization from kraft pulp in the presence of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) of varying molecular weights. CNF pretreated with 250 kD CMC exhibited the maximum specific surface area (SSA) of 641 m(2)/g, which is comparable to that of CNF pretreated by 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperidinyl-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-meditated oxidation with a high degree of fibrillation. Rheological and microscopic analyses also indicated a high level of fibrillation for the CMC-pretreated CNF. In contrast, the reference CNF without the CMC pretreatment showed a lower level of fibrillation, which was reflected in decreased viscosity and the reduction of SSA by a factor of 19. With the high-degree fibrillation and low toxicity, the CMC pretreatment is a promising method for the production of high-quality CNF in an environmentally friendly way.

Automated summary

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) were produced from kraft pulp through high-pressure homogenization in the presence of varying molecular weights of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). CNF pretreated with 250 kD CMC exhibited high specific surface area and fibrillation, making it a promising environmentally friendly method for high-quality CNF production.