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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Bioproducts Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #319654

Research Project: Bioproducts from Agricultural Feedstocks

Location: Bioproducts Research

Title: Nanocrystalline cellulose from coir fiber: preparation, properties, and applications

Author
item AZEREDO, HENRIETTE - Embrapa
item IMAM, SYED - Retired ARS Employee
item FIGUEIREDO, MARIA - Embrapa
item NASCIMENTO, DIEGO - Embrapa
item ROSA, MORSYLEIDE - Embrapa

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/2/2014
Publication Date: 6/6/2014
Citation: Azeredo, H.M., Imam, S.H., Figueiredo, M.C., Nascimento, D.M., Rosa, M.F. 2014. Nanocrystalline cellulose from coir fiber: preparation, properties, and applications. In: Pandey, J.K. Takagi, H. Nakagaito, A.N., Kim, H.-J., editors. Handbook of polymer nanocomposites. Processing, performance and application, Volume C: Polymer nanocomposites of cellulose nanoparticles. Berlin Heidelberg, Germany: Springer. p. 15-26.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Nanocrystalline cellulose derived from various botanical sources offers unique and potentially useful characteristics. In principle, any cellulosic material can be considered as a potential source of a nanocrystalline material, including crops, crop residues, and agroindustrial wastes. Because of the variability in cellulose source and methods of preparation, nanocellulosic materials of variable structure, property, and application could be obtained. This chapter provides current knowledge on the acid hydrolysis extraction of nanocrystalline cellulose from coir fiber and its application in composite films. The use of ultrathin cellulose nanocrystals extracted from bleached coir fibers, in composites, has shown improved filler-matrix interaction and enhanced performance in the resulting nanocomposites, identifying a novel application for this feedstock. When incorporated into a hydrophilic polysaccharide-based matrix, nanostructures from coir fiber exhibited barrier and mechanical properties comparable to that from cotton fiber, despite the expected low compatibility between the matrix and the residual lignin leftover in the coir fiber. This is attributed to the counterbalancing effect of the higher aspect ratios present in nanocellulose obtained from coir fibers.