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The Effect of Cellulose Nanofibres on Dewatering during Wet-Forming and the Mechanical Properties of Thermoformed Specimens Made of Thermomechanical and Kraft Pulps

Authors :
Eirik Ulsaker Jacobsen
Simen Prang Følkner
Jørgen Blindheim
Dag Molteberg
Martin Steinert
Gary Chinga-Carrasco
Source :
Nanomaterials, Vol 13, Iss 18, p 2511 (2023)
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2023.

Abstract

Due to environmental concerns regarding single-use plastic materials, major efforts are being made to develop new material concepts based on biodegradable and renewable resources, e.g., wood pulp. In this study, we assessed two types of wood pulp fibres, i.e., thermomechanical pulp (TMP) and Kraft pulp fibres, and tested the performance of the fibres in wet-moulding and thermopressing trials. Kraft pulp fibres appeared to retain more water than TMP, increasing the dewatering time during wet-moulding and apparently increasing the compression resistance of the pulp during thermoforming. Additionally, cellulose nanofibres (CNF) were added to the pulps, which improved the mechanical properties of the final thermopressed specimens. However, the addition of CNF to the pulps (from 2 to 6%) had a further decrease in the dewatering efficiency in the wet-moulding process, and this effect was more pronounced in the Kraft pulp specimens. The mechanical performance of the thermoformed specimens was in the same range as the plastic materials that are conventionally used in food packaging, i.e., modulus 0.6–1.2 GPa, strength 49 MPa and elongation 6–9%. Finally, this study demonstrates the potential of wood pulps to form three-dimensional thermoformed products.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20794991
Volume :
13
Issue :
18
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Nanomaterials
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.9b159fe37a841778a0981bcba685aae
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13182511