Effect of Mechanical Treatment of Eucalyptus Pulp on the Production of Nanocrystalline and Microcrystalline Cellulose

Walter Torezani Neto Boschetti, Ana Márcia Macedo Ladeira Carvalho, Angélica de Cássia Oliveira Carneiro, Graziela Baptista Vidaurre, Fernando José Borges Gomes and Déborah Nava Soratto
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Walter Torezani Neto Boschetti: Department of Forestry Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, Brazil
Ana Márcia Macedo Ladeira Carvalho: Department of Forestry Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, Brazil
Angélica de Cássia Oliveira Carneiro: Department of Forestry Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, Brazil
Graziela Baptista Vidaurre: Department of Forest and Wood Sciences, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória 29075-910, Brazil
Fernando José Borges Gomes: Forest Products Department, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica 23890-000, Brazil
Déborah Nava Soratto: Chapadão do Sul Campus, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande 79070-900, Brazil

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-13

Abstract: This study aimed to assess the effect of mechanical pretreatment on bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp fibers and investigate the influence of reaction time and temperature on the properties and yield of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). Two types of pulps were hydrolyzed, pulp 1 (control, whole fibers) and pulp 2 (mechanically pretreated, disintegrated fibers). NCC and MCC particles were obtained by sulfuric acid hydrolysis (60% w / w ) of eucalyptus pulps under different conditions of time (30–120 min) and temperature (45–55 °C). Physical treatment of kraft pulp facilitated acid hydrolysis, resulting in higher NCC yields compared with no pretreatment. The morphologic properties and crystallinity index (CI) of NCC and MCC were little affected by pulp pretreatment. NCC particles obtained from pulps 1 and 2 were needle-shaped, with mean diameters of 6 and 4 nm, mean lengths of 154 and 130 nm, and CI of 74.6 and 76.8%, respectively. MCC particles obtained from pulps 1 and 2 were rod-shaped, with mean diameters of 2.4 and 1.4 µm, mean lengths of 37 and 22 µm, and CI of 73.1 and 74.5%, respectively. Pulps 1 and 2 and their respective NCC and MCC derivatives had a cellulose I crystalline structure.

Keywords: eucalyptus fiber; nanocrystals; cellulose (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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