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Properties and characterization of hydrophobized microfibrillated cellulose

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Abstract

Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) obtained by disintegration of bleached softwood sulphite pulp in a homogenizer, was hydrophobically modified by surface silylation with chlorodimethyl isopropylsilane (CDMIPS). The silylated MFC was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and white light interferometry (WLI). The degree of surface substitution (DSS) was determined using Si concentrations from XPS survey scans, as well as deconvoluted peaks in high-resolution C1s XPS spectra. The DSS values obtained by the two methods were found to be in good agreement. MFC with DSS between 0.6 and 1 could be dispersed in a non-flocculating manner into non-polar solvents, TEM observations showing that the material had kept its initial morphological integrity. However, when CDMIPS in excess of 5 mol CDMIPS/glucose unit in the MFC was used, partial solubilization of the MFC occurred, resulting in a drop in the observed DSS and a loss of the microfibrillar character of the material. The wetting properties of films cast from suspension of the silylated MFC were also investigated. The contact angles of water on the films increased with increasing DSS of the MFC, approaching the contact angles observed on super hydrophobic surfaces for the MFC with the highest degree of substitution. This is believed to originate from a combination of low surface energy and surface microstructure in the films.

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Abbreviations

AFM:

atomic force microscopy

CDMIPS:

chlorodimethyl isopropylsilane

DSS :

degree of surface substitution

FT-IR:

fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

MFC:

microfibrillated cellulose

RGU:

repeating glucose unit

TEM:

transmission electron microscopy

THF:

tetrahydrofuran

WLI:

white light interferometry

XPS:

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a grant from the Nanomat research programme of the Norwegian Research Council. Södra Cell, Borregaard, Akzo Nobel and Domsjö Fabriker are also gratefully acknowledged for financial support. Børge Holme at SINTEF Materials and Chemistry is acknowledged for WLI analyses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ugelstad Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491, Trondheim, Norway

    Martin Andresen & Per Stenius

  2. Center for Chemical Analysis, Helsinki University of Technology, P.O. Box 6100, FIN-02015 HUT, Espoo, Finland

    Leena-Sisko Johansson

  3. SINTEF Materials and Chemistry, N-7465 Trondheim, Norway

    Bjørn Steinar Tanem

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  1. Martin Andresen
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  2. Leena-Sisko Johansson
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  3. Bjørn Steinar Tanem
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  4. Per Stenius
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Correspondence to Martin Andresen.

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Andresen, M., Johansson, LS., Tanem, B. et al. Properties and characterization of hydrophobized microfibrillated cellulose. Cellulose 13, 665–677 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-006-9072-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-006-9072-1

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