Effect of lignin-containing highly fibrillated cellulose on the adsorption behavior of an organic dye

The morphological properties and particle size characteristics of micro- and nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) and lignin-containing NFC (LNFC) produced by a microfluidizer processor were investigated. The effects mechanism of lignin-containing on the adsorption of NFC and the stable properties of organic dyes suspension were also studied. The results showed that the preparation process and final performance of NFC were affected by the key factors including lignin, homogenization pressure, and number of homogenization cycles. The increase in the homogeneity of the fibrillated cellulose was minor for the NFC samples, while LNFC samples showed a larger increase in the homogeneity of the particle size distribution. The influence of lignin was reflected both in improved fibrillation efficiency and in the final organic dye dispersion properties achieved by LNFC addition, primarily observed as deceased particle sizes and fibril dimensions. This study indicated that pollution-free dispersion of organic dyes can be realized through the application of lignin-containing NFC.