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Potential Use of Micro- and Nanofibrillated Cellulose Composites Exemplified by Paper

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Cellulose Fibers: Bio- and Nano-Polymer Composites

Abstract

Naturally abundant, biodegradable, and sustainable plant and wood fibres are composed of smaller and progressively mechanically stronger entities. These smaller structural load-bearing cellulosic fibrils, termed as micro- and nanocellulosic fibrils, can be separated by defibrillating the pulp fibres with either mechanical, chemical, enzymatic, and ultrasound sonication methods or a combination of these treatments. Engineered biopolymer, like cellulosic fibrils, and inorganic mineral composite structures have the potential to create new material properties and applications. This chapter deals with the production, characterisation, and application of cellulosic fibril-precipitated calcium carbonate structures in printing and writing paper. We enunciate a novel composite paper consisting of cellulosic fibrils and precipitated calcium carbonate as the backbone structure and reinforced with a minimal fraction of long fibres. However, recent research investigations show that cellulosic fibrils and their composites find wide application across different fields of manufacturing such as polymers and plastics, medicine, construction, and automotive industries.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Supermasscolloider® (Model MKZA 10-15J) is a trademark product of Masuko Sangyo Co. Ltd, Japan.

  2. 2.

    Kraft process (Kraft or sulphate pulping) describes a technology for conversion of wood into wood pulp consisting of almost pure cellulose fibres.

  3. 3.

    TMP – thermomechanical pulp.

  4. 4.

    Supermass colloider is described in detail in Sect. 5.2.1.

  5. 5.

    Washing is performed at 0.2% consistency and 800 rpm mixing in a dynamic drainage jar.

  6. 6.

    Commercial regenerated cellulose fibres with the brand name Tencel were used in the experiments.

  7. 7.

    Commercial C-PAM sold under the brand name of Fennopol was used in the experiment.

  8. 8.

    Product name: SEFAR NITEX 03-10/2; mesh opening: 10 μm.

Abbreviations

AmPCC:

Amorphous PCC

BW:

Bulk water

Co PCC:

Colloidal PCC

c-PCC:

Composite PCC

FBW:

Freezing-bound water

FIB-SEM:

Focussed ion beam SEM

FSP:

Fibre saturation point

MFC:

Microfibrillated cellulose

NBW:

Nonfreezing bound water

NFC:

Nanofibrillated cellulose

PCC:

Precipitated calcium carbonate

r PCC:

Rhombohedral PCC

ref-PCC:

Conventional reference PCC

Sca PCC:

Scalenohedral PCC

SEM:

Scanning electron microscope

TMP:

Thermomechanical Pulp

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Omya Development AG, Baslerstrasse 42, 4665, Oftringen, Switzerland

    Ramjee Subramanian

Authors
  1. Ramjee Subramanian
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  2. Eero Hiltunen
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  3. Patrick A. C. Gane
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ramjee Subramanian .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Bahra University, Waknaghat (Shimla Hills), 173 234, Himachal Pradesh, India

    Susheel Kalia

  2. Technology Jalandhar (NITJ), Department of Chemistry, Dr B.R. Ambedkar National Institute of, Jalandhar, 144 011, Punjab, India

    B. S. Kaith

  3. Department of Chemistry, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, 171 005, Himachal Pradesh, India

    Inderjeet Kaur

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Subramanian, R., Hiltunen, E., Gane, P.A.C. (2011). Potential Use of Micro- and Nanofibrillated Cellulose Composites Exemplified by Paper. In: Kalia, S., Kaith, B., Kaur, I. (eds) Cellulose Fibers: Bio- and Nano-Polymer Composites. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-17370-7_5

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