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Lignocellulosic Fibers and Films

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2020) | Viewed by 28916

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Forest Products Development Center, School of Forestry and Wildlife Science, Auburn University, 520 Devall Drive, Auburn, AL 36830, USA
2. Department of Chemical Engineering, Alabama Center for Paper and Bioresource Engineering (AC-PABE), Auburn University, 358 Ross Hall, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Interests: bio-based polymers; cellulose chemistry; surface modfication; bio-based composites; proteins; lignin; surface interactions; click chemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There is a global demand for products that are both environmentally friendly and fossil-independent (renewable). In this respect, lignocellulosic biomass affords an abundant resource for biorefineries to produce biochemicals, bioenergy, and agromaterials. Among these, fibers and films prepared from lignocellulosic resources are receiving increased attention because of their promising properties and widely available feedstock. The fiber morphology and structural features of the cell wall are responsible for the physicochemical properties of plant fibers. The cell wall comprises three main layers (the primary cell wall, the middle lamella, and the secondary cell wall) that differ in chemical composition and architecture, which in turn are contributing to the mechanical properties that are desirable for applications such as fibers and films. These applications include but are not limited to packaging, flexible electronic devices, textile fibers. and membranes.

This Special Issue welcomes full papers and short communications highlighting the aspects of the current trends in the area of lignocellulosic fibers and films.

Prof. Ilari Filpponen
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Cellulose
  • Chemical modification of lignocellulosic films and fibers
  • Film formation
  • Fiber spinning
  • Physicochemical properties of lignocellulosic films and fibers
  • Characterization of lignocellulosic films and fibers
  • Applications of lignocellulosic films and fibers

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 5062 KiB  
Article
Cellulose-Cyclodextrin Co-Polymer for the Removal of Cyanotoxins on Water Sources
by Diego Gomez-Maldonado, Iris Beatriz Vega Erramuspe, Ilari Filpponen, Leena-Sisko Johansson, Salvatore Lombardo, Junyong Zhu, Wim Thielemans and Maria S. Peresin
Polymers 2019, 11(12), 2075; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11122075 - 12 Dec 2019
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4075
Abstract
With increasing global water temperatures and nutrient runoff in recent decades, the blooming season of algae lasts longer, resulting in toxin concentrations that exceed safe limits for human consumption and for recreational use. From the different toxins, microcystin-LR has been reported as the [...] Read more.
With increasing global water temperatures and nutrient runoff in recent decades, the blooming season of algae lasts longer, resulting in toxin concentrations that exceed safe limits for human consumption and for recreational use. From the different toxins, microcystin-LR has been reported as the main cyanotoxin related to liver cancer, and consequently its abundance in water is constantly monitored. In this work, we report a methodology for decorating cellulose nanofibrils with β-cyclodextrin or with poly(β-cyclodextrin) which were tested for the recovery of microcystin from synthetic water. The adsorption was followed by Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), allowing for real-time monitoring of the adsorption behavior. A maximum recovery of 196 mg/g was obtained with the modified by cyclodextrin. Characterization of the modified substrate was confirmed with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lignocellulosic Fibers and Films)
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20 pages, 6852 KiB  
Article
Computational Investigations on Soundproof Applications of Foam-Formed Cellulose Materials
by Carmen Debeleac, Petronela Nechita and Silviu Nastac
Polymers 2019, 11(7), 1223; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11071223 - 23 Jul 2019
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 5127
Abstract
Recent studies have highlighted an innovative way to produce highly porous materials based on cellulose fibers. These studies have focused on the foam-forming process, where the cellulose fibers and other components are mixed with foam. In the authors’ previous research, the foam-formed cellulose [...] Read more.
Recent studies have highlighted an innovative way to produce highly porous materials based on cellulose fibers. These studies have focused on the foam-forming process, where the cellulose fibers and other components are mixed with foam. In the authors’ previous research, the foam-formed cellulose materials (FCM) were obtained by mixing a surfactant with cellulose fibers, taken from virgin pulp and recovered papers. In the present paper, the authors performed additional experimental and computational analyses in order to evaluate the sound insulation capabilities of these FCM beyond the initial impedance of tube investigations. The poroacoustics computational methodology parameters—i.e., airflow resistivity, porosity, tortuosity, viscous, and thermal characteristic lengths—were herein evaluated. This analysis was performed using both a theoretical/empirical approach from the specialized literature and an experimental investigation developed by the authors. The computational investigations were conducted in two stages: First, we evaluated the approximation of the experimentally gained normal incidence parameters, in terms of absorption and reflection, respectively, relative to the estimated ones. The second stage of analysis consists of a parametrical estimation of sound insulation characteristics concerning the incidence angle of sound hitting the porous layer. The results presented in this paper are in agreement with the computational experimental results, providing extended soundproof characteristics to the incidence angle of the acoustic field. Further, this study supplies additional information useful for future analyses regarding the influences of random geometry air inclusions into the FCM layer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lignocellulosic Fibers and Films)
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13 pages, 4301 KiB  
Article
Preparation of Cellulose Films from Sustainable CO2/DBU/DMSO System
by Longming Jin, Jianyun Gan, Gang Hu, Long Cai, Zaiquan Li, Lihua Zhang, Qiang Zheng and Haibo Xie
Polymers 2019, 11(6), 994; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11060994 - 4 Jun 2019
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 5570
Abstract
Cellulose films are regarded as sustainable materials having wide applications in food packaging, separation, etc. Their preparation substantially relies on sufficient dissolution. Herein, various celluloses adequately dissolved in a new solvent system of carbon dioxide,1, 8-diazabicyclo [5.4.0] undec-7-ene and dimethyl sulfoxide (CO2 [...] Read more.
Cellulose films are regarded as sustainable materials having wide applications in food packaging, separation, etc. Their preparation substantially relies on sufficient dissolution. Herein, various celluloses adequately dissolved in a new solvent system of carbon dioxide,1, 8-diazabicyclo [5.4.0] undec-7-ene and dimethyl sulfoxide (CO2/DBU/DMSO) were made in to films using different regeneration reagents. The films regenerated from ethanol and methanol presented homogeneous and smooth surfaces, while those from 5 wt % NaOH (aq.) and 5 wt % H2SO4 (aq.) showed rough surfaces, as analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The films regenerated from 5 wt % NaOH (aq.) and 5 wt % H2SO4 (aq.) rendered cellulose II structures, while those regenerated from alcohols had amorphous structures as evidenced using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) results. The films made of microcrystalline cellulose had a good light transmittance of about 90% at 800 nm with a tensile strength of 55 MPa and an elongation break of 6.5%, while those from wood pulp cellulose demonstrated satisfactory flexibility with a tensile strength of 91 MPa and an elongation break of 9.0%. This research reports a simple, environmental, and sustainable method to prepare cellulose films of good mechanical properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lignocellulosic Fibers and Films)
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13 pages, 2599 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Laccase/Mediator System (LMS) Stage Applied in Fractionation of Eucalyptus globulus
by Javier M. Loaiza, Ascensión Alfaro, Francisco López, María T. García and Juan C. García
Polymers 2019, 11(4), 731; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11040731 - 22 Apr 2019
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3205
Abstract
In a biorefinery framework, a laccase/mediator system treatment following autohydrolysis was carried out for eucalyptus wood prior to soda-anthraquinone pulping. The enzymatic and autohydrolysis conditions, with a view to maximizing the extraction of hemicelluloses while preserving the integrity of glucan, were optimized. Secondly, [...] Read more.
In a biorefinery framework, a laccase/mediator system treatment following autohydrolysis was carried out for eucalyptus wood prior to soda-anthraquinone pulping. The enzymatic and autohydrolysis conditions, with a view to maximizing the extraction of hemicelluloses while preserving the integrity of glucan, were optimized. Secondly, pulping of solid phase from Eucalyptus globulus wood autohydrolysis and the enzymatic process was carried out and compared with a conventional soda-anthraquinone (AQ) pulping process. The prehydrolysis and enzymatic delignification of the raw material prior to the delignification with soda- Anthraquinone (AQ) results in paper sheets with a lower kappa number and brightness and strength properties close to conventional soda-AQ paper and a liquid fraction rich in hemicellulose compounds that can be used in additional ways. The advantage of this biorefinery scheme is that it requires a lower concentration of chemical reagents, and lower operating times and temperature in the alkaline delignification stage, which represents an economic and environmental improvement over the conventional process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lignocellulosic Fibers and Films)
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11 pages, 2659 KiB  
Article
Development of Bio-Based Films and 3D Objects from Apple Pomace
by Jesper Gustafsson, Mikael Landberg, Veronika Bátori, Dan Åkesson, Mohammad J. Taherzadeh and Akram Zamani
Polymers 2019, 11(2), 289; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11020289 - 8 Feb 2019
Cited by 53 | Viewed by 10408
Abstract
Extensive quantities of apple pomace are generated annually but its disposal is still challenging. This study addresses this issue by introducing a new, environmentally-friendly approach for the production of sustainable biomaterials from apple pomace, containing 55.47% free sugars and a water insoluble fraction, [...] Read more.
Extensive quantities of apple pomace are generated annually but its disposal is still challenging. This study addresses this issue by introducing a new, environmentally-friendly approach for the production of sustainable biomaterials from apple pomace, containing 55.47% free sugars and a water insoluble fraction, containing 29.42 ± 0.44% hemicelluloses, 38.99 ± 0.42% cellulose, and 22.94 ± 0.12% lignin. Solution casting and compression molding were applied to form bio-based films and 3D objects (i.e., fiberboards), respectively. Using glycerol as plasticizer resulted in highly compact films with high tensile strength and low elongation (16.49 ± 2.54 MPa and 10.78 ± 3.19%, respectively). In contrast, naturally occurring sugars in the apple pomace showed stronger plasticizing effect in the films and resulted in a fluffier and connected structure with significantly higher elongation (37.39 ± 10.38% and 55.41 ± 5.38%, respectively). Benefiting from the self-binding capacity of polysaccharides, fiberboards were prepared by compression molding at 100 °C using glycerol or naturally occurring sugars, such as plasticizer. The obtained fiberboards exhibited tensile strength of 3.02–5.79 MPa and elongation of 0.93%–1.56%. Possible applications for apple pomace biomaterials are edible/disposable tableware or food packaging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lignocellulosic Fibers and Films)
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