Effects of Sodium Montmorillonite on the Preparation and Properties of Cellulose Aerogels
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The authors do not test any other proportions of cellulose/montmorillonite than 5:3 g. Only after point 3.3 do we know that they tested other mass fractions. This does not help the reader to understand why only 5:3 was thoroughly tested.
The article is not novel and the authors should explain where the novelty is, if there is any.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer 1,
Thank you for your letter and for your comments concerning our manuscript, titled “Effects of sodium montmorillonite on the preparation and properties of cellulose aerogels” (ID: 425148). We found all the comments to be valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper as well as the providing additional significance to our research. We have revised the manuscript according to these comments, Reviewer 2’s comments and the referees’ detailed suggestions. The responses to the reviewers are enclosed. We sincerely hope this revised manuscript will be acceptable for publication in Polymers. Thank you very much for all your help. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Thank you,
Yun-xuan Weng, Ph.D.
Professor
School of Materials and Mechanical Engineering
Beijing Technology and Business University
11 Fucheng Road, Beijing 100048, China
Tel.: +86-10-68985380 Fax.: +86-10-68983573
E-mail: [email protected]
Yu-zhong Wang
Professor
Center for Degradable and Flame-Retardant Polymeric Materials
College of Chemistry
Sichuan University
Chengdu 610064, China
Tel.: +86-28-85410259
E-mail: [email protected]
Response to your comments:
Point 1: The authors do not test any other proportions of cellulose/montmorillonite than 5:3 g. Only after point 3.3 do we know that they tested other mass fractions. This does not help the reader to understand why only 5:3 was thoroughly tested.
Response 1: To address this concern, we added information on the effects of the montmorillonite content on the adsorption capacity and pore structure of the fabricated cellulose aerogels.
Point 2: The article is not novel and the authors should explain where the novelty is, if there is any.
Response 2: We introduce montmorillonite into the cellulose solution. The cellulose molecular chain in the solution moves freely in the solvent. After the addition of montmorillonite, the oxygen-containing groups on the sheet interact with the hydroxyl groups on the cellulose molecular chain to form hydrogen bonds. Thereby regulating the microstructure and properties of the aerogel
For the first time, the effects of montmorillonite on the preparation and properties of cellulose aerogels were studied using a rotational rheometer, scanning electron microscope, dynamic thermomechanical instrument and specific surface area. In addition, the liquid adsorption properties of the composite aerogels were studied.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
Polymers-425148
Title: “Effect of sodium montmorillonite on preparation and properties of cellulose aerogel”
In this paper, the authors use a NaOH/urea aqueous solution system for dissolve cellulose. Besides, they prepare cellulose/montmorillonite aerogel with three-dimensional porous structure. The presence of montmorillonite accelerate the sol-gel process of cellulose solution. Montmorillonite adheres to the surface of cellulose aerogel, reducing the pore diameter of the aerogel and increase its specific surface area, also increase the density and reduces the volume during the preparation process.
The manuscript contains a lot of useful information to readers.
I recommend that the manuscript may be accepted for publication but after major revision.
Comments:
1) Line 128-130
Comment with major detail the paragraph: “And the initial·····addition of montomorillonite”
2) Figure 4
The elemental composition is Na, Mg, Al and Si, but in Fig. 4 the Na is not observed
3) Line 173-175
The formation of hydrogen bonds. The authors can comment with major detail the formation of the bonds Added techniques used.
4) Revise the English of the manuscript
Other comments:
1) Line 35
CHANGE N, N’.methylene bisacrylamide
FOR N,N’.methylenebisacrylamide
Revise nomenclature of the manuscript
2) Line 37
Write 90.30%-99.02% or 90.3%.99.0%3
3) Line 38
CHANGE Cu (II) FOR Cu/(II)
4) Line 47
CHANGE aerogels which FOR aerogels, which
5) Line 60
Revise the paragraph: “Montmorillonite is a clay which is low-cost”
6) Line 67
CHANGE time. And FOR time. The ligand
7) Line 71
Define the lettes: um (unit mass)
8) Line 78, 79, 80
CHANGE 3g FOR 3 g
100g FOR 100 g
3g FOR 3 g
9) Line 80
400 r/min Define the units “r”
10) Line 89, Figure 1
Delete: Figure of the
11) Line 114
CHANGE HZ FOR Hz
12) Line 122
CHANGE Point FOR point
13) Line 135
CHANGE fig. 3, fig.4 FOR Fig.3, Fig. 4
14) Line 143
CHANGE Si; And FOR Si, and
15) Line 150
CHANGE Zhou group FOR Zhou et al.
Revise all manuscript
16) Line 184
Define the letters “PP”
17) Line 195
CHANGE we fabricate FOR We fabricate
18) Revise the presentation of the references
[14] [19]
Author Response
Dear Reviewer 2,
Thank you for your letter and for your comments concerning our manuscript, titled “Effects of sodium montmorillonite on the preparation and properties of cellulose aerogels” (ID: 425148). We found all the comments to be valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper as well as the providing additional significance to our research. We have revised the manuscript according to these comments, Reviewer 1’s comments and the referees’ detailed suggestions. The responses to the reviewers are enclosed. We sincerely hope this revised manuscript will be acceptable for publication in Polymers. Thank you very much for all your help. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Thank you,
Yun-xuan Weng, Ph.D.
Professor
School of Materials and Mechanical Engineering
Beijing Technology and Business University
11 Fucheng Road, Beijing 100048, China
Tel.: +86-10-68985380 Fax.: +86-10-68983573
E-mail: [email protected]
Yu-zhong Wang
Professor
Center for Degradable and Flame-Retardant Polymeric Materials
College of Chemistry
Sichuan University
Chengdu 610064, China
Tel.:+86-28-85410259
E-mail: [email protected]
Response to your comments:
Point 1: Line 128-130 Comment with major detail the paragraph: “And the initial·····addition of montomorillonite”
Response 1: The addition of a chemical crosslinking agent or materials possessing oxygen-containing groups generally accelerates gelation [9, 21, 25]. In addition, the initial G' and G'' of the cellulose/montmorillonite suspension are larger than those of the cellulose solution, Indicating stronger intermolecular forces and higher cellulose chain entanglement occur in the cellulose/montmorillonite suspension because of the addition of montmorillonite.
Point 2: Figure 4: The elemental composition is Na, Mg, Al and Si, but in Fig. 4 the Na is not observed
Response 2: Thank you for your helpful evaluation and kind suggestion. We have revised Fig. 4 accordingly.
Point 3: Line 173-175 The formation of hydrogen bonds. The authors can comment with major detail the formation of the bonds Added techniques used.
Response 3: We agree with the referee’s helpful suggestion and apologize for neglecting this information. Our speculation was based on previously published papers, including “FT-IR study of montmorillonite–chitosan nanocomposite materials” and “Nanoreinforced bacterial cellulose–montmorillonite composites for biomedical applications”. We have added these two papers to the Reference section.
Point 4: Revise the English of the manuscript
Response 4: After revising the manuscript ourselves, we used a professional English editing service to further polish our manuscript.
Point 5: Line 35 CHANGE N, N’.methylene bisacrylamide FOR N,N’.methylenebisacrylamide; Revise nomenclature of the manuscript
Response 5: We apologize for the use of incorrect nomenclature. We have revised these instances according to your comment.
Point 6: Line 37 Write 90.30%-99.02% or 90.3%.99.0%3 Response 6: We have made this correction according to this comment.
Point 7: Line 38 CHANGE Cu (II) FOR Cu/(II)
Response 7: We have made this correction according to this comment.
Point 8: Line 47 CHANGE aerogels which FOR aerogels, which
Response 8: We have made this correction according to this comment.
Point 9: Line 60 Revise the paragraph: “Montmorillonite is a clay which is low-cost”
Response 9: We have revised the paragraph as follows, “Sodium-based montmorillonite possesses excellent swelling properties, cation exchangeability, dispersibility in aqueous media, viscosity, lubricity and thermal stability as well as a high hot and wet compressive strength and compressive modulus [17,18].”
Point 10: Line 67 CHANGE time. And FOR time. The ligand
Response 10: We have made this correction according to this comment.
Point 11: Line 71 Define the lettes: um (unit mass)
Response 11: We apologize for this mistake. “µm” is the symbol for “micrometer(s)”.
Point 12: Line 78, 79, 80
CHANGE 3g FOR 3 g; 100g FOR 100 g; 3g FOR 3 g
Response 12: We have made this correction according to this comment.
Point 13: Line 80 400 r/min Define the units “r”
Response 12: We apologize for this mistake. “r” is the symbol for “revolutions”. We have clarified this issue in the text as follows, “4000 revolutions/min”.
Point 14: Line 89, Figure 1 Delete: Figure of the
Response 14: We have made this correction according to this comment.
Point 15: Line 114 CHANGE HZ FOR Hz
Response 15: We have made this correction according to this comment.
Point 16: Line 122 CHANGE Point FOR point
Response 16: We have made this correction according to this comment.
Point 17: Line 135 CHANGE fig. 3, fig.4 FOR Fig.3, Fig. 4
Response 17: We have made this correction according to this comment.
Point 18: Line 143 CHANGE Si; And FOR Si, and
Response 18: We have made this correction according to this comment.
Point 19: Line 150 CHANGE Zhou group FOR Zhou et al.
Revise all manuscript
Response 19: We have made this correction according to this comment.
Point 20: Line 184 Define the letters “PP”
Response 20: We apologize for this mistake. “PP” is the symbol for “polypropylene”. We have clarified this issue in the text as follows, “commercial adsorbent polypropylene”.
Point 21: Line 195 CHANGE we fabricate FOR We fabricate
Response 21: We have made this correction according to the Reviewer’s comments.
Point 22: Revise the presentation of the references [14] [19]
Response 22: We have updated the references as follows:
14. Liu, X.; Yang, R.; Xu, M.; Ma, C.; Li, W.; Yin, Y. Hydrothermal Synthesis of Cellulose Nanocrystal-Grafted-Acrylic Acid Aerogels with Superabsorbent Properties. Polymers (Basel). 2018, 10, 1168-1183, doi:10.3390/polym10101168.
19. Erlandsson, J.; Franc, H.; Marais, A.; Granberg, H.; Wågberg, L. Cross-Linked and Shapeable Porous 3D Substrates from Freeze-Linked Cellulose Nanofibrils. Biomacromolecules. 2019, 20, 728-737, doi:10.1021/acs.biomac.8b01412.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
The authors have significantly improved the quality of the manuscript.
Reviewer 2 Report
After the changes, this paper can be accepted, in present form, for their publication in Polymers
