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Disintegration of periodate–chlorite oxidized hardwood pulp fibres to cellulose microfibrils: kinetics and charge threshold

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Abstract

Periodate–chlorite oxidized bleached hardwood kraft pulp fibre samples with six levels of charge densities ranging from 0.5 to 1.8 mmol/g were gradually disintegrated to microfibrils using a high-shear homogenizer. The disintegration kinetics and mechanisms were studied by a flow fractionation method, and the properties of the resulting particles were determined using low shear viscosity and transmittance measurements. The particles formed during the disintegration were visualized with a charge-coupled device camera and by field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The result showed that cellulose fibres with a low charge density disintegrated at a low rate and produced ragged fibres and bunches of microfibrils via bursting of the fibre walls, whereas those with a higher charge density broke down at a high rate and microfibrils were formed through swelling and the creation of balloon structures. A carboxyl content of 1.2 mmol/g was found to be the threshold value for the efficient formation of high aspect ratio microfibrils and also for the change in the disintegration mechanism in the high-shear homogenizer.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the Graduate School in Chemical Engineering (GSCE), the Tauno Tönning Research Foundation, and the Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion for their financial support. We also thank Mr. Jani Österlund and Mr. Samuli Honkaniemi for their help during the experiments. Metso Automation (Finland) is acknowledged for providing the technology used in the flow fractionation technique.

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  1. Fibre and Particle Engineering Laboratory, Department of Process and Environmental Engineering, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 4300, 90014, Oulu, Finland

    Kaarina Kekäläinen, Henrikki Liimatainen & Jouko Niinimäki

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  1. Kaarina Kekäläinen
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  2. Henrikki Liimatainen
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  3. Jouko Niinimäki
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Correspondence to Kaarina Kekäläinen.

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Kekäläinen, K., Liimatainen, H. & Niinimäki, J. Disintegration of periodate–chlorite oxidized hardwood pulp fibres to cellulose microfibrils: kinetics and charge threshold. Cellulose 21, 3691–3700 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-014-0363-7

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