Effect of isolation method on the properties of nanocellulose: a meta-analysis

Abstract

There have been many kinds of research about nanocellulose isolation and its characterization. However, there are gaps in quantitative conclusion according to previous findings about the difference effects of the isolation method on nanocellulose properties. In this study, a meta-analysis was carried out from 28 scientific journals and gathered 404 treatments. Fibre diameter and length, crystallinity index, onset temperature, and temperature at maximum degradation were analyzed using the independent t-test method. In contrast, using the independent t-test method, while tensile strength, tensile modulus, and elongation at break were analyzed by applying the standard mean difference method. Fibre diameter (t = −2.18, df = 28, p = 0.038^*, ${\overline{\text{x}}}$ = −13.246, σ = 6.07, 95% CI −25.682 to − 0.81) and temperature at maximum degradation (t = −2.18, df = 57, p = 0.033^*, ${\overline{\text{x}}}$ = −19.93, σ = 9.139, 95% CI −38.227 to − 1.626) were significantly affected by the isolation method as well as Tensile strength (gDiff = −1.12, SEdiff = −0.09, Zdiff = 13.21, P-val =  < 0.001), tensile modulus (gDiff = −0.59, SEdiff = −0.14, Zdiff = 4.17, P-val =  < 0.001), and elongation at break (gDiff = 4.61, SEdiff = −0.09, Zdiff = −49.57, P-val =  < 0.001). In the other hand, fibre length (t = −2.612, df = 3.01, p = 0.079^NS, ${\overline{\text{x}}}$ = −1090.05, σ = 417.25, 95% CI −2415.452 to 235.344), crystallinity index (t = 1.758, df = 38, p = 0.087^NS, ${\overline{\text{x}}}$ = 10.453, σ = 5.945, 95% CI −1.583 to 22.488), and onset temperature (t = −1.463, df = 48, p = 0.141^NS, ${\overline{\text{x}}}$ = −25.81, σ = 17.634, 95% CI −61.263 to 9.648) were not significantly affected by the isolation method.