Production and characterization of cellulose nanofibril (CNF) from agricultural waste corn stover

Authors: Xu, Jingyuan - James; Krietemeyer, Elizabeth; Boddu, Veera; Liu, Sean; LIU, WEN-CHING - University Of Illinois

Submitted to: Carbohydrate Polymers
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/10/2018
Publication Date: 7/15/2018
Citation: Xu, J., Krietemeyer, E.F., Boddu, V.M., Liu, S.X., Liu, W. 2018. Production and characterization of cellulose nanofibril (CNF) from agricultural waste corn stover. Carbohydrate Polymers. 192:202-207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2018.03.017.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2018.03.017

Interpretive Summary: Cellulose, as the most abundant biopolymer existing in nature, can play a major role in the advanced materials due to its reinforcement properties. The agriculture-based residues provide an abundant, inexpensive, and widely distributed source of biomass for cellulose. Many agricultural residues such as corn stover and wheat straw have little economic value other than for burning as fuel. The nano-sized cellulose research area has attracted attention of many researchers. Recently, the scientists at NCAUR prepared nano-sized microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) from the agriculture waste corn stover using a high shearing method. The properties of this MFC were characterized. We found that the nano-sized corn stover MFC could be a new value-added biomaterial for applications in cosmetic gels.

Technical Abstract: Agricultural waste corn stover has little economic value. Cellulose was extracted from corn stover by the processes of alkali treatment and delignification, resulting in a > 93% purity. The particle size of the extracted cellulose was reduced by mechanical shearing through high pressure homogenization. When passing through a homogenizer thirty times, the cellulose nanofibril (CNF) can be obtained. The diameters of the CNF ranged between 5 and 50 nm, and the lengths were microns. The mechanical properties of the films, made by corn stover cellulose, with and without high pressure homogenization shearing were evaluated using an Instron instrument. The films made by cellulose without shearing exhibited weaker mechanical properties, while the CNF films exhibited stronger mechanical properties. The linear rheological properties of CNF suspensions were also investigated and results show solid-like viscoelastic behavior. Our findings regarding corn stover CNF are similar to those CNF from other sources reported in the literature.