Thermally stable, enhanced water barrier, high strength starch bio-composite reinforced with lignin containing cellulose nanofibrils

Chuan-Wei Zhang; Sandeep S Nair; Heyu Chen; Ning Yan; Ramin Farnood; Fang-Yi Li

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.115626

Thermally stable, enhanced water barrier, high strength starch bio-composite reinforced with lignin containing cellulose nanofibrils

Carbohydr Polym. 2020 Feb 15:230:115626. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.115626. Epub 2019 Nov 15.

Authors

Chuan-Wei Zhang¹, Sandeep S Nair², Heyu Chen³, Ning Yan⁴, Ramin Farnood⁵, Fang-Yi Li⁶

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture (M of E), School of Mechanical Engineering, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, Shandong University, 17923 Jingshi Road, Jinan, 250061, China; Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3E5, Canada.
² Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3E5, Canada; Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto, 33 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B3, Canada; John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, University of Toronto, 1 Spadina Crescent, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2J5, Canada.
³ Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto, 33 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B3, Canada.
⁴ Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3E5, Canada; Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto, 33 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B3, Canada. Electronic address: ning.yan@utoronto.ca.
⁵ Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3E5, Canada.
⁶ Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture (M of E), School of Mechanical Engineering, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, Shandong University, 17923 Jingshi Road, Jinan, 250061, China. Electronic address: lifangyi@sdu.edu.cn.

PMID: 31887859
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.115626

Abstract

Lignin containing cellulose nanofibrils (LCNF) were obtained by mechanically fibrillating unbleached tree bark after alkaline extraction and used as a reinforcement in thermoplastic starch (TPS) to develop novel biodegradable composite films. With the addition of 15 wt % LCNF, the tensile strength and modulus of the composites increased by 319 % and 800 % compared to neat TPS films, respectively. The crystalline property of cellulose and the high interaction between TPS and LCNF improved the mechanical property of the composite films. The composite film T_onset and T_max were 263.1 °C and 316.5 °C, respectively, compared to 250.5 °C and 297.3 °C for neat TPS. The composite films also showed higher water barrier property. Experimental results showed that LCNF features a high lignin content. Lignin, a natural polymer, contains hydrophobic and aromatic groups and, thus, can increase the water barrier property and thermal stability of TPS/LCNF composite films.

Keywords: Bark; Lignin containing cellulose nanofibril; Mechanical property; Thermal stability; Thermoplastic starch; Water barrier.

MeSH terms

Hot Temperature
Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
Lignin / chemistry*
Nanocomposites / chemistry*
Nanofibers / chemistry*
Stress, Mechanical
Tensile Strength

Substances

Lignin